Sports betting isn’t going to be on Georgia’s radar once again, as Senate Bill 142 never made it to the House floor. The bill would have legalized 18 online sportsbooks, but daily fantasy is the only option to wager on competition pools.
Professional Sports Franchises Back Sports Betting Bill Across the Country
The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee approved Senate Resolution 135, which would remove the state’s constitutional ban on gaming the current Georgia Lottery, but the push was stopped. Atlanta Braves President Derek Schiller was expressing his disappointment with sports betting not being legalized this year.
The reason is baseball season is underway in the Peach State. The World Series champions are looking to defend their title with a new star; as Freddie Freeman signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason, the Braves went on a different path by trading for Matt Olson.
The 2022 legislative session ended early on Tuesday, just after midnight, after a deal couldn’t be reached on the 40th and final day on Monday. The Braves weren’t the only franchise that backed the bill as other teams like the Atlanta Hawks CEO, Steven Koonin, also believed that sports betting would help bring fan engagement as the pandemic affected the team’s revenue.
Professional sports organizations in other jurisdictions across the country have backed legislation to legalize sports gambling. Sports betting is under consideration in Missouri as franchises in both Kansas City and Missouri are heavily supporting the bill. Casinos have also joined the push to legalize sports betting and gaming.
There Are Groups That Oppose Sports Betting
For the past few years, the efforts to legalize sports betting in Georgia have faced heavy opposition from anti-gambling groups. This is nothing new, as other states pushing for sports betting have dealt with similar situations.
Getting support from conservatives and other religious groups and those who oppose gambling, in general, will also be an uphill battle in Kentucky. In states like Georgia and Kentucky, the concern among some lawmakers is that gaming votes could hurt them on Election Day.
Those who oppose gambling of any kind believe that bringing sports betting to states will bring a lot of issues. Some of these issues they believe can arise are social problems that could include crime, and they believe people could become compulsive gamblers.
What Option Do People in Georgia Have As of Right Now
People across the state of Georgia can still use daily fantasy apps that are made by companies like DraftKings and FanDuel. Currently, there is no push to get rid of these apps in the state. Even though it is frowned upon, those who want to place a wager in the Peach State have been using offshore sportsbooks.
Another option people have been doing is crossing state lines by going to Tennessee. Tennessee only offers mobile sports betting to those who reside and visit the state. So people who live in Georgia don’t have to go to casinos or other gaming facilities to place bets on different sporting events throughout the year.
According to WABE radio, the Braves’ president noted that not having a legalized sports betting market, Georgia is losing a lot of revenue in numerous situations. Georgia is currently the eighth-most populous state in the United States as it is home to nearly 11 million people.
Schiller hopes that sports betting will be approved in the future. He stated, “We’re firmly in support of it,” he said. “It’s time we got it done.”
After a long lockout, the defending World Series champions, Atlanta Braves, open their regular season with a three-game homestand against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park.