High time to legalize sports gambling in Georgia, says trade group

Many states are hopeful to legalize sports gambling. Or, at least many of their residents are. Various specialists and industry bodies are trying to convince lawmakers in each resisting jurisdiction that the benefits of legalizing activities such as sports betting have a significant well-meant impact on budgets and consumer protection.

One of the groups to recently speak in favor of sports betting legalization is the Sports Betting Alliance, an advocate group comprising prominent betting brands, such as FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Fanatics.

A spokesperson for the group was cited by WTOC and detailed why pushing for legalization in the state made sense. Presently, the cited spokesperson said, Georgia’s residents may only gamble on sports offshore, or in another jurisdiction.

Both options are less than ideal, and they deprive the state budget of a significant revenue stream. It’s in the state's interest to establish an online sports betting market to promote safe and responsible gambling. The group also spoke of the precedents in many other states, with more than 30 jurisdictions in the United States already accepting wagers legally.

This is money that the state can channel and invest in communities and help Georgians who, the group said, deserve a safe, responsible, and above all else – legal betting market. The state can make a fresh push in 2023, as there is already precedent for trying to legalize sports gambling in the Peach State.

In 2022, Ron Stephens, a representative in the House, attempted to garner sufficient support to see a bill passed through. He failed, but his attempt is hardly going to be the last one. As an additional sign of positivity, the incoming governor for Georgia, Burt Jones, has said that he will be happy to see sports betting legalized, which means that a governor veto is very unlikely.

Governors can be powerful proponents of sports gambling legalization, but they are not really able to push it. Regardless, having the support of the governor could make more lawmakers see the issue positively, familiarize themselves with it more quickly and push for it a little more. There are examples where governors have not been able to do much.

Andy Beshear in Kentucky, for example, has been a passionate advocate for gambling legalization, but he has gathered very little momentum, although a new bill was introduced on January 5 and might still make all the difference. Meanwhile, Stephens is thinking of the ways that sports gambling can be realized in Georgia. He argues that at least two bills would be required and there are still more challenges to take care of.

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