Georgia Republicans Think Casinos, Sports Betting Could Fund Economic Development

Posted on: February 14, 2025, 09:27h. 

Last updated on: February 14, 2025, 09:54h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

• Georgia Republicans in the state Senate have called for casinos and sports betting
• Mobile sportsbooks would remain prohibited
• Religious leaders are opposing the gaming push

Georgia Republicans in the state’s General Assembly believe commercial casino gambling with sports betting could help the Peach State continue to attract major events like the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, and March Madness.

Atlanta is a major sports town and a preferred host destination for professional and collegiate championships. Atlanta has hosted the Super Bowl three times, which will increase to four when the Falcons’ Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosts the big game in 2028.

Georgia Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) says the state has invested considerably in keeping Atlanta attractive to the NFL, NCAA, and other leagues for title games. The private sector has also been heavily leaned on to lure significant events like Super Bowl LVII set for February 2028.

Beach thinks authorizing commercial casino resorts and allowing Georgians to bet on sports would help ease some of the financial strain.

You can’t keep going back to the well,” Beach said. “You’ve got to have a little bit of money for the state to put in the game. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been pushing casino gaming. I think that’d be a nice way to fund some of that.”

Beach and three Senate Republican colleagues recently filed legislation to allow state voters to decide if they want to amend the Georgia Constitution to expand gaming from the lottery and charitable games to include Las Vegas-like slot machines, table games, and sports betting.

How Many Casinos in Georgia?

Georgia remains among the most restrictive states when it comes to gambling. Only Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah have fewer legal gaming options.

Beach and Sens. Lee Anderson (R-Grovetown), Billy Hickman (R-Statesboro), and Carden Summers (R-Cordele) are pushing Senate Resolution 131. The statute, if passed by the General Assembly, would put forth a casino and sports betting question before voters during the 2026 election. Proposals by the General Assembly to amend the state constitution can only occur during general elections in even-numbered years.

The gaming tax money would be allocated to a new account called the Georgia Gaming Proceeds Fund.

The first $500 million each year in gaming proceeds, after 5% is set aside for problem gambling programs, would be “evenly appropriated” to each county for economic development purposes. After counties receive $2 billion in gaming money, the casino and sportsbook taxes would go to the General Assembly “for any purpose,” though Beach and his cosponsors think that money could be used to help attract additional championships.

Georgia Gambling Odds 

Georgia’s influential religious organizations have — and will — continue to oppose legislative efforts to legalize new forms of gambling despite polling suggesting that public opinions have changed in recent years and a majority of likely voters support sports betting and, to a lesser degree, casino gambling.

Attempts to place a gaming question before voters have failed in previous legislative sessions, with conservative Republicans in the capital unwilling to ease their moral hostility to games of chance.

Mike Griffin, a Baptist pastor and lobbyist who works with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, says Christians shouldn’t gamble and has called on churches to hold “gambling awareness Sunday” in February to “educate our people on the detriments of expanding gambling in our state.”