Sports betting has landed back on Georgia lawmakers’ agenda
ATLANTA, Ga. - A Georgia lawmaker has introduced yet another attempt to let voters approve a constitutional amendment allowing online sports betting in one of the last Bible Belt holdouts.
Offered by Rep. Marcus Wiedower, R-Watkinsville, HR 450 has 57 co-sponsors, including 47 Republicans and 10 Democrats.
The legislation calls for a constitutional amendment, following the same approval process used for the Georgia Lottery and establishment of the HOPE Scholarship. Wiedower said regulated online sports betting could generate up to $150 million for Georgia Pre-K.
The constitutional amendment would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate. Wiedower said voters would then decide, with a simple majority, whether to amend the state constitution to allow sports betting under the Georgia Lottery.
I-TEAM: Automated speed cameras – for protection or for profit?
It’s a highly debated topic across the state – using automated cameras to catch speeding vehicles in school zones.
“We want to do what Georgians want, we want to give them a voice,” said Wiedower. “Let them vote on it, make a final decision so we can be done with the conversation.”
Legalized online sports betting has ed the Senate for the last three years in a row, but subsequently fell flat on the floor of the House each time.
Senate President and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said if Wiedower and his sponsors can get this latest effort ed in the House, the Senate will have the numbers to approve it.
“I told them all this year, I said, ‘Look, we’re not going to touch it until y’all can illustrate that y’all can get us something over here in the Senate,’” Jones told Atlanta News First. “We’ll do our best to make it happen for him, but I’m not putting any money on it.”
MORE FROM NEWS 12
Georgia: Latest from the state Capitol
- Proposal could jail Ga. librarians for not removing ‘harmful’ books
- Ga. senators 2nd part of Kemp plan to limit lawsuits
- Ga. House es bill to restrict transgender sports participation
- Georgia Senate es measure to raise fentanyl penalties
- Ga. Senate pushing a bigger boost in Hurricane Helene relief
“We want to do what Georgians want, we want to give them a voice,” said Wiedower. “Let them vote on it, make a final decision so we can be done with the conversation.”
Legalized online sports betting has ed the Senate for the last three years in a row, but subsequently fell flat on the floor of the House each time.
Senate President and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said if Wiedower and his sponsors can get this latest effort ed in the House, the Senate will have the numbers to approve it.
“I told them all this year, I said, ‘Look, we’re not going to touch it until y’all can illustrate that y’all can get us something over here in the Senate,’” Jones told Atlanta News First. “We’ll do our best to make it happen for him, but I’m not putting any money on it.”
ers say the millions in additional revenue could present a creative way to bolster Georgia’s early education programming.
“The money here will flow to Pre-K directly, Pre-K will be the winner here,” said state Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Atlanta, a bill sponsor. “And we know that we’ve got too many 4-year-olds on waiting lists trying to get into the programs.”
Opponents of the bill say it will stoke a rise in gambling addiction, despite the bill diverting revenue into anti-addiction and responsible gambling programs.
“It’s going to be putting gasoline on a dumpster fire that’s already burning in our state. Why do we want to make it worse?” asked Mike Griffin with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. “Do we want to make money the ultimate standard of what we do or not do here in the legislature? There’s no way you can sanctify moral manure. And that’s what gambling is. It’s legalized fraud.”
If ed, Georgians would be asked to vote on legalizing online sports betting in 2026.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
