Georgia Legislature Fails to Pass Sports Betting Bill
The Georgia legislature adjourned yesterday without passing a sports betting bill or a constitutional amendment that removed the state’s gambling prohibition.
Early last week, a House committee passed both, but the bills stalled for a variety of reasons including attempts to by-pass the need for a constitutional amendment and efforts to change how and who would issue the untethered licenses.
Bypassing the constitutional amendment was politically difficult since many lawmakers had claimed for months that it was necessary (legally) – and necessary politically – because it would ultimately put the decision to legalize gambling in the hands of the voters. The issue with license distribution faced strong last minute opposition from sports teams that did not want the untethered licenses being issued by the yet-to-be-established Sports Betting Commission.
Ultimately, a multitude of political and policy fights sunk Georgia’s chances. It is worth noting, that several of the underlying policies included in the sports betting bill, such as a 20% tax rate, $1M annual licensing fee, no deductions for promos, etc. were not industry friendly. Further, if it passed, the industry would have had to fund a muti-million dollar ballot initiative during a very high-profile election year in Georgia.