• About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

Georgia Legislature Juggles Multiple Sports Wagering Bills

Each bill has a few unique traits, although similar principles are shared across them

Bennett Conlin by Bennett Conlin
February 16, 2023
in Legislation
trae-young-dribbling-basketball

David Jensen/Getty Images

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Georgia’s legislative session lasts through the end of March, and sports betting figures to be a hot topic in the statehouse over the next month. Two different bills were discussed in committees Thursday, and another bill to legalize sports betting in the state was discussed earlier in the week. 

The bills vary in nature, with some aiming to avoid a constitutional amendment to legalize sports wagering in Georgia and one introducing a constitutional amendment.

There’s been debate among legislators and legal experts about whether sports betting requires a constitutional amendment to be legalized. If it doesn’t, it makes the road to legalization easier, with only simple majorities needed in the House and Senate to send a bill to the governor’s desk. 

The topic of sports betting and gambling comes up every year in the #Georgia Legislature and every year it fails. Lawmakers are once again talking about it and hope this year is different. @FOX5Atlanta

Details: https://t.co/gOECGO5hBd pic.twitter.com/Hh8ptd2YX8

— Tyler Fingert (@TylerFingert) February 9, 2023

Mobile-only bill

HB 380, which received a few recent updates, would legalize only mobile sports betting in Georgia. Other bills, such as SB 57, which was discussed on Tuesday, include retail betting options in addition to mobile legalization.

Rep. Marcus Wiedower presented HB 380 to the House Higher Education Committee Thursday morning. Wiedower shared that the bill would allow for up to 16 mobile licenses in the state, with the Georgia Lottery acting as the regulator. 

“This is going to be a lottery game, simple as that. … I wanted to make sure this bill has nothing to do with horse racing, nor does it have anything to do with casinos,” Wiedower said. 

SB 57 differs, as that bill does allow fixed-odds horse racing as a legal sports wager. 

Under HB 380, licenses would be available for professional sports teams in the state, including the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Falcons, and Atlanta Braves. NASCAR and the PGA Tour would also be included under designated licensees, as would the lottery, should it want to run its own mobile sportsbook. Other licenses were deemed “at-large” and could be available to sportsbook operators not partnered with the named entities. 

The bill taxes sports betting at 15% of adjusted gross revenue, and like any other lottery game, tax revenue would help fund education measures in Georgia. Wagering on college sports is allowed under the bill. 

Thursday’s discussion was a bit rushed, as the committee only had an hour to discuss the bill. This limited public comment and questions surrounding the bill, and the group plans to meet again Tuesday for deeper discussion. 

SB 57 is also expected to be discussed more in Senate committees early next week. 

Constitutional amendment route

Sen. Bill Cowsert spoke Thursday to the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee, which he chairs, about SR 140 and SB 172, which work together to legalize sports betting in Georgia through a constitutional amendment. Cowsert, who has a legal background, believes that’s the necessary path to legalize sports betting in the state. 

“It’s my opinion the only way to do that is with a constitutional amendment because we need to change the constitution to allow this new form of gambling,” Cowsert said. “There may be some legal technicalities, some sneaky ways to get around that by calling this a lottery game and letting it be under the scope of the lottery and under their control, but to me that is extremely deceptive to our citizenry.” 

Retail sports betting would be allowed under the bill, and Cowsert’s legislation would enable the lottery to operate a mobile sportsbook while also permitting at least six other mobile operators. The tax rate is unique, with non-lottery sports betting operators paying a 25% tax rate on adjusted gross income derived from parlay bets, prop bets, and live bets. Adjusted gross income from all other wagers would be taxed at 20%. 

The bill would distribute tax revenue to a variety of sources, with 50% going toward needs-based scholarships, grants, and loans in the state. Another 25% would go toward health care, mental health, and economic development initiatives in high-poverty areas in Georgia. An additional 15% goes toward problem gambling measures, including preventative efforts. The final 10% would be distributed evenly between innovative educational funding and efforts to attract and promote major sporting events in Georgia, such as all-star games and the Olympics.

Cowsert made a point that responsible gambling measures are important to him, and he plans to seek information from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission about its responsible gambling practices. He’s hopeful Georgia can be on the cutting edge of responsible gambling best practices, should the state opt to legalize sports betting in the near future.

No vote was held on the bill, which is expected to be discussed in greater detail next Thursday. Next week will be busy for Georgia legislators grappling with the framework to legalize sports betting.

ShareTweetShare
Bennett Conlin

Bennett Conlin

Bennett Conlin is a sports betting reporter. He began his sportswriting career crafting recaps of family wiffle ball games. He’s covered more meaningful games since those early days, most recently writing about the University of Virginia’s athletic programs for The Daily Progress. Bennett can be reached at [email protected].

Related Posts

marcell-ozuna-swinging-at-pitch
Legislation

Georgia Sports Wagering Legalization Efforts Officially Dead For 2023

March 30, 2023
max-fried-tossing-pitch
Legislation

Georgia Senators Hope To Create Wagering Study Committee

March 23, 2023
Load More

Top Stories

taylor mathis

Taylor Mathis Got Sacrificed At The Altar Of Responsible Gambling

March 20, 2023
fanduel baseball wall

Premade Same Game Parlays Are Sucker Bets

March 13, 2023
maginfier-over-small-print

Read The Fine Print: A Proposed Federal Rule Could Change Everything For Indian Gaming

March 6, 2023
roman reigns wwe

Colorado Denies Report Stating That It’s Considering WWE Wagering

March 8, 2023

State Sports Betting Guides

Ohio (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Ohio Sports Betting – All Online Sportsbooks, Bonus Offers, and News 2023

by Brian Pempus
March 31, 2023

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
March 27, 2023

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
January 17, 2023

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
March 22, 2023

pa online sportsbooks

Pennsylvania Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonuses

by Brett Smiley
October 6, 2022

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps & Bonus Offers

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

SportsHandle

  • Analysis
  • Casino
  • Features
  • Horse Racing
  • Industry
  • Legal
  • Legislation
  • Opinion
  • Podcasts
  • Poker
  • Politics
  • Promotions
  • Regulation
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Better Collective

This website is owned and operated by Better Collective USA. Trademarks and copyrights referenced on this website are and shall remain the exclusive property of their respective owners and/or licensors. Please be sure to visit the operator’s website(s) to review their terms & conditions. We advise you to read these carefully as they contain important information. Copyright © 2023 USBets.com | Better Collective USA
21 Play Responsibly
Gamble Aware West Virginia
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
GameSense

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News