Sports betting bills in Georgia are close to a vote in the House.

Georgia is preparing for a renewed discussion on the legalization of the sports betting industry. The Higher Education Committee of the House of Representatives in Georgia is considering Senate Resolution 579, attached to the bill that provides for the legalization of sports betting (SB 386). The resolution under discussion outlines the allocation of tax revenues from sports betting. Currently, 80% of the revenue goes to support Georgian schools, 15% to programs addressing problem gambling, and 5% to attracting major sporting events to the state.

Although the distribution of tax revenues under the resolution is similar to that of other states, it has sparked some debate among members of the House of Representatives. Some believe that the state should not collect funds year after year to attract sporting events. Others argue that the projected revenues are insufficient to justify this kind of distribution and believe that they should be directed to other areas.

One of the main obstacles to sports betting in Georgia is the lack of official forecasting of tax revenues.

“If we are not going to make money based on your words, and then we will have to take measures to care for people who gamble, why are we even doing this?” said Representative Rhonda Burnow. “What is the purpose?”

Although the bill will ultimately be put to a vote in the House of Representatives, the likelihood of its passage remains low.

Georgia may follow the example of Missouri.

While the Chamber resists the legalization of sports betting, the public supports this initiative. Some are calling for the state to allow the residents of Georgia to vote on this issue, as they will be the most affected by it.

Missouri found itself in a similar situation, but recently held a referendum on the legalization of sports betting. There was an organized campaign for sports betting and support from the state's professional sports franchises. Georgian sports organizations strongly support legalization, which means they may take similar action if the current bill does not pass.