The Georgia House of Representatives is preparing to vote on the legalization of online sports betting.

The GeorgiaHouse continues to debate proposed legislation that could bring online sports betting to the Peach State. On Monday, committee members were trying to determine what sports betting revenue should be spent on, particularly education, if the changes go into effect. Further dialog will take place tomorrow (March 27), with Senate Bill 386 and Senate Resolution 579 on the agenda. The former deals with creating a structure for sports betting in Georgia, while the latter would introduce a referendum on a constitutional amendment so voters can voice their position on the issue. If the laws advance to referendum, voters could approve sports betting in Georgia in the upcoming November election.

The Senate Bill 386 also allows the Georgia lottery authority to issue up to 16 betting licenses, which is a significant change from the version presented earlier this year, right up to the committee meeting this week. One of the changes was the requirement for betting operators to pay an income tax of 20%, which was increased to 25% after the committee meeting.

The committee Democrats also confirmed their support for restoring the language on priority funding for fully funded preschools. Senator Bill Cowsert from Athens, the sponsor of Resolution 579, expressed his disagreement with the cessation of priority funding for preschools and the requirement that 80% of gambling tax revenues in Georgia be directed to lottery educational programs. He also rejected the allocation of 15% for gambling prevention measures and a 5% share for supporting sporting events in the state. These changes mean that the General Assembly must agree on and precisely determine how much will be spent annually on the issue of problematic gambling behavior.