Despite half a dozen failed attempts in the past, the Georgia people, through their elected representatives, do not seem to be giving up on the prospects of legal gambling just yet. This February, four Republicans in the Georgia Senate have jointly filed a new proposal that will legalize sports betting and casino gaming in one motion.
The measure, Senate Resolution 131, was introduced to the floor of the upper house by Senators Carden Summers (R-13), Billy Hickman (R-4), Brandon Beach (R-21) and Lee Anderson (R-24). Last year, these same sponsors championed SR 538, another bill that hoped to greenlight the establishment of casinos and sportsbooks in the Peach State.
Although SR 538 failed to gather momentum before the 2024 legislative session, its backers have made important adjustments and are endorsing SR 131 to go all the way. The newly introduced measure, if approved, will amend the state’s constitution to permit the expansion of gambling activities.
Essentially, the resolution requires a vote by two-thirds majority of both the Senate and House of Representatives in Georgia. Afterwards, voters will head to the ballot in 2026 to deduce the question:
“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to provide by law for the operation and regulation of sports betting and casino gambling activities in this state?”
At this rate, the prospective date that sports betting and casino gaming could launch in Georgia is early 2027. For now, the bill will first need to pass through the Senate latest by March 6, 2025 after which the deadline for support in both legislative houses is April 4.
Building on the groundwork established by previous gambling bills, SR 131 introduces several unprecedented provisions. For instance, the measure advocates for the creation of a Georgia Gaming Commission to regulate the gambling industry. Similarly, it increases the minimum number of casino licenses to be issued to eight, with each licensee permitted only one skin.
Nothing in the bill indicates the number of licenses and operators permitted for sports betting in the state. However, the proposed legislation provides that a 20% gross revenue tax will be imposed on both casino gambling and sports betting licensees in the state.
Another groundbreaking inclusion is the proposed creation of the Georgia Gaming Proceeds Fund. The Fund will be maintained by the tax revenue from gambling activities and the first $2 billion gained in the Fund shall be equally distributed among each of the state’s 159 counties. Subsequent revenue in the Fund will be disbursed according to the following formula.
Supplementary sum of $500 million will be evenly distributed by the General Assembly each year to the governing authorities of each county in this state until a total of at least $5 billion has been appropriated.
At least 5% of excess revenue will be earmarked for responsible gambling programs and to treat residents with compulsive gaming habits.
From all indicators, it appears online gambling is not in consideration in the Peach State, at least for now. A part of the resolution states that gambling activities “shall take place at a casino facility owned and operated by an individual or entity that has been issued a casino gaming license in this state, as no-off site casino gambling activities shall be permitted or authorized in this state.”
This suggests that if Georgia aims to include online sports betting and iGaming in its expansion plan, proponents of SR 131 may need to amend the resolution. Otherwise, the state will require a new bill or simply wait for the launch of retail casino gaming to introduce online gambling measures like most jurisdictions have done.