Georgia’s Republican-majority legislature is looking at several bills that would legalize sports betting and casinos in the Peach State.
There are several bills in both houses of the legislature that would allow Georgia residents the opportunity to do online betting on sporting events and bills that would legalize casinos. The question is one that lawmakers have wrestled with for several legislative sessions, but this year there are a couple of bills that would try to go around getting a Constitutional amendment approved by voters – which might be a tougher sale.
The move to try to circumvent a constitutional amendment is based on an opinion written by former Georgia Chief Justice Harold Melton asserting that a constitutional amendment is unnecessary. In a 10-page memorandum requested by the Metro Atlanta Chamber — a key supporter of bringing sports betting to Georgia — Melton contends that sports betting can be classified as a form of lottery, already legal in Georgia under the 1992 constitutional amendment that created the Georgia Lottery.
The concern by gambling supporters is that by creating legalized sports betting by statute – it would leave out the possibility of casinos and polling shows more support for casinos in Georgia than sports betting.
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