A lawmaker from Georgia is making another push to let voters decide on a constitutional amendment to legalize online sports betting in one of the last holdouts in the area.
Spoke with Rep. Marcus Wiedower on his proposed Georgia sports betting legislation.
"I'm as confident as I've ever been but we shall see. The Senate has previously passed this exact resolution," he said.
His bill will be heard tomorrow at 1 p.m. in committee.
— RLinnehanSR (@RLinnehanSR) March 3, 2025
Does Georgia have legal sports betting?
State Representative Marcus Wiedower is leading the charge to bring online sports betting to Georgia, sponsoring House Bill 686 and House Resolution 450.
If these measures pass, Georgians will get the chance to vote on whether the state should join others in legalizing online sports betting. As of now, HR 450 has the support of 57 co-sponsors, including 47 Republicans and 10 Democrats.
If approved, the legislation would establish a competitive online sports betting market, with the Georgia Lottery Corporation overseeing operations. The lottery would also have the option to launch its own digital betting platform. According to Wiedower, this move could bring in up to $150 million for Georgia’s Pre-K program.
The bill would open the door for up to 16 online sports betting operators in Georgia. Out of those, five licenses would be linked to the state’s major professional sports teams, while Augusta National, the PGA Tour, and Atlanta Motor Speedway would each get one as well.
The remaining seven licenses would be up for grabs through a public bidding process, allowing more competition in the market.
To make it happen, the constitutional amendment needs a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate. After that, it would be up to Georgia voters, who would need a majority to approve the change.
Sports betting bill faces criticism
Speaking to Fox 5 News, Rep. Wiedower stressed the need for regulation, stating: “We have no ability to regulate the bad actors, people that are getting in bad situations. We simply are trying to rein that in, bring tax dollars in the states, allow for that money to go directly to education.”
However, not everyone is on board with the push for online sports betting in Georgia. The Georgia Baptist Mission Board is one of the most vocal opponents, with its representative, Mike Griffin, actively urging lawmakers to vote against the proposal. The group has long been against gambling expansion in the state and continues to push back on efforts to legalize it.
He told reporters: “There is no way you can sanctify moral manure and that is what gambling is, it’s legalized fraud.”
Despite the opposition, the Sports Betting Alliance said the bill had “overwhelming bipartisan support.”
The bill has overwhelming bipartisan support and incredible momentum!
Tell your state legislator to let us vote and invest in our children's future by voting YES on HR 450. #HR450 https://t.co/tPEgahh4K6
— Georgia Sports Betting Alliance (@SBAllianceGA) March 3, 2025
For the past three years, legalized online sports betting has made it through the Georgia Senate only to stall in the House.
This time around, Senate President and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones says that if Representative Wiedower and his supporters can get it through the House, the Senate has the votes to push it across the finish line.
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