Georgia

There have been countless attempts and arguments over the years, but Georgia has remained unable to legalize sports betting in any capacity. A push for legalization doesn’t seem to be slowing down, so there, of course, is always a chance it will happen over the coming years.

Suppose you’re a Georgia resident who caught the gambling bug. In that case, we’re sorry to inform you that the only thing available in the state is daily fantasy sports apps, even though they are unregulated. The state actually came close to legalizing DFS apps in 2017, but the Senate did not vote on the matter after the House passed it.

Daily fantasy products were a topic of debate once again during the 2024 legislative sessions in the state, but for the time being, nothing seems to be coming from it. Some of the apps that are operating in the state include PrizePicks, Underdog, and Betr Picks.

While some states that don’t have legal sports betting at least allow horse racing, that is not the case in the Peach State, as there are no racetracks or racebooks offered in GA.

Online sports betting in The Peach State

It seems that each year, Georgia has gotten closer and closer to completing the legalization of sports betting. Unfortunately, coming close is not enough to make something legal when it comes to bills, laws, and amendments.

Advocates of sports betting in GA have tried to get it legalized in a number of ways, including through a vote or strictly through the legislative process, but both methods have hit roadblocks. Most states that are still in the process of legalizing sports betting have run into the problem of dealing with the local tribes that run gambling in the state, but that is not an issue in GA.

In 2023 alone, the state had three sports betting bills introduced, all of which would have legalized mobile sports betting. After gaining considerable momentum, SB 57, HB 380, and SR 140 all died during legislative sessions on March 6, 2023. The Senate voted against SB 57 and SR 140, while HB 380 did not pass the House.

Since no casinos or racetracks exist in GA, the state has quite an open market that is appealing to brand-name operators. This is a big reason why the part owners of BetMGM, Entain Foundation, decided to meet with state legislators to pitch them the benefits the state would receive if they legalized sports betting.

Most recently, in 2024, neither SR 579 nor SB 386 was voted on by the House on the last day of the yearly legislative session. One of the biggest reasons why was lawmakers' inability to agree on how they would spend the taxes made from sports betting. This means Georgia residents will need to wait at least another year.

Sports betting & gambling legislation in GA

While sports betting has been a consistent topic in legislative sessions in GA since 2020, there remain consistent obstacles for any legislator who is backing a bill. A big problem when it comes to getting everything legalized is in GA; voters must approve of changes like this in order to make it a law.

The earliest change could happen in GA would be in early 2025. Still, it is important to remember that even when a bill like this is passed, it takes time for the regulators of that bill, in this case, the Georgia Lottery, to set up licenses and rules for operators to follow.

The lottery remains one of the lone gambling-esque markets available in the Peach State. Other markets like online casinos and online poker remain on the back burner as state legislators try to at least get sports betting off the ground.

Most recent updates from the GA sports betting scene

• May 16, 2024: Entering the final week of the regular season in the SEC, Georgia Bulldogs third baseman Charlie Condon has broken the home run record in the BBCOR era with 34 long balls. The Bulldogs are currently (+3100) to win the College World Series.

• May 12, 2024: Despite having just a 3% chance, the Atlanta Hawks were able to win the #1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft through the Draft Lottery.

• May 6, 2024: Following the conclusion of spring practice for the Georgia Bulldogs, starting quarterback Carson Beck currently has the best odds to win the Heisman Award at (+750).

• April 27, 2024: Eight former Georgia Bulldogs were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Brock Bowers was the first former UGA standout to be selected, and he is currently (+4000) to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

• December 8, 2023: Senator Brandon Beach intends to introduce legislation to legalize gambling in Georgia during the 2024 legislative session. His proposal would let citizens vote on a constitutional amendment permitting casino gaming, sports betting, and pari-mutuel wagering. Beach estimates that legalizing gambling could generate up to $900 million in annual tax revenue.

• November 22, 2023: Despite previous unsuccessful efforts to pass gambling legislation, proponents are hopeful for the 2024 legislative session. Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who proposed a sports gambling bill in 2020, believes sports betting has greater support than casinos and horse racing among GA residents.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

Casinos, sportsbooks, and racetracks cannot be found anywhere in Georgia. While GA does have a state lottery, that is about as far as “gambling” goes in the Peach State, as residents don’t even have tribal casinos at their disposal.

Based on the bills that have been brought up in legislative sessions, if Georgia does legalize sports betting, in all likelihood, it would be online only, so retail sportsbooks may not even be a thing in Georgia if sports betting is made legal over time.

Sports betting in neighboring states

Tennessee’s decision to legalize sports betting has been one of Georgia’s biggest influences in their increased efforts to do the same. While it is taking GA longer than most would hope, at the very least, the state’s residents can make the short trip to Tennessee and North Carolina.

You can click on the surrounding states below to learn more about their specifics.

What’s next for GA betting apps?

With all of the momentum Georgia had with sports betting bills in 2023, there should be optimism that mobile sports betting is not far away. Since most of the bills have mentioned strictly mobile betting, the state could open up quite a few licenses, which would cause an influx of big sportsbooks looking to join the state’s market.

Between the success and popularity of the pro sports teams in GA, popular sportsbooks like Caesars and FanDuel should have plenty of chances to enter the market through partnerships with those teams.

These sportsbooks will need to wait yet another year to join the market, though, as both SR 579 and SB 386 were not voted on during the 2024 legislative session.

Potential sports betting revenue impact on Georgia's economy

Until sports betting becomes legal in Georgia, we won’t truly know how much the state can earn monthly from it. According to Senator Brandon Beach, who introduced new sports betting legislation in 2024, the state could earn an estimated $900 million per year from the legalization.

Of course, this is just speculation, but these numbers don’t seem far-fetched at all since Tennessee alone has racked up over $10 billion in sports betting handle since they decided to legalize it.

Ohio is the second closest state to Georgia in terms of pure population. Since legalizing sports betting, Ohio has made over $1.13 billion in revenue, which again bodes well for Georgia if they can ever get a bill over the finish line.