Georgia Sports Betting to Make 2021 Legalization Push

Sports Betting in the United States

Georgia currently does not have legal sports betting. Sports betting was previously illegal in the majority of the United States on a Federal level until 2018. This was when a Supreme Court decision overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992. Now, every single state can decide for itself on whether or not it would like to legalize sports wagering.

States that have legalized sports gambling include Tennessee, Illinois, New Jersey, Iowa, Virginia, and many more. However, almost every state, including Georgia, has made some kind of attempt to push for sports wagering.

Sports Wagering in Georgia: Where it Legally Stands

Currently, betting on sports is not legal in Georgia. However, in 2021 several members of the State Congress, as well as the professional sports teams within Georgia, look to change that.

In 2020 several lawmakers put together a house bill, HB 570, in the first attempt at sports betting in the Peach State. The bill included a 10% tax on gross sports betting revenue, legalizing mobile sports wagering, and giving the regulatory powers of sports wagering to the lottery. For bettors in Georgia, this is a dream. This is exactly the kind of structure that has seen the most success in the United States for both the consumer and state. This would allow for a good tax percentage for state revenue, mobile betting that allows anyone to place wagers from wherever they are in Georgia, and the lottery to handle licenses and regulations.

However, unfortunately for Georgia sports betting, this bill did not even get past a committee in 2020. This means that Congress was unable to agree to the wording and provide a full bill to the floor of the State House. On the floor is where the State House could then choose to have a vote on it.

Future of Sports Betting in Georgia

There is no doubt that the same lawmakers in Congress, as well as the professional sports teams located in Georgia, will be pushing for another legalization attempt in the Spring of 2021 when Congress is in session.

One thing that has completely changed this country is the coronavirus pandemic. Several states are looking for new revenue streams as states face fierce debt in the wake of the slow economic growth, or in most cases, regression. Georgia needs to find ways to help fight the deficit, and one of the easiest and most profitable ways would be sports betting.

Another major factor that would help push this bill through is all of the other states legalizing across the country. As sports wagering becomes the standard instead of the taboo, Georgia residents will start to request sports betting. This is also the perfect time as Georgia could capitalize off the fact that Florida does not have sports gambling, and Florida bettors would flood Georgia to be able to wager, causing an even larger revenue boost.

2021 will be a massive year for sports wagering as several states take a deeper look at second and third attempts, especially with such unbalanced books due to the virus. Georgia should be one of the most likely states to get something done in this regard in 2021.