Global Gaming Company Presses For Gambling In GeorgiaObstacles Remain But 2024 Legislation Remains Possible |
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Could gambling be coming to the Peach State? After legislators in Alabama recently began considering expanded gaming options, a major online gaming operator met with Georgia officials on Tuesday in hopes that the state would get on the legalization bandwagon as well.
Representatives of the Entain Foundation addressed several state legislators in Atlanta regarding the issue. The non-profit group was started in the U.S. in 2020 by the international online gaming giant Entain, which owns major brands such as Ladbrokes, bwin, and PartyPoker.
The group hopes to help expand safe and legal gaming options and that apparently includes Georgia.
A Big Push
Georgia doesn’t have online casinos. Neighboring states like Tennessee and North Carolina have legalized sports betting in recent years, with the latter also offering casinos. Horse race betting also isn’t legal in Georgia.
Legislators have considered a few proposals in recent years, however, but those ultimately failed after disagreements over issues like gambling addiction, revenue distribution, and what types of gambling to legalize, Now Habersham notes.
Entain is at least hoping some of that can change and pushing for gambling legalization. Foundation officials felt good after meeting state representatives.
”Georgia, as you can imagine, has politically a lot of issues including the Trump indictment, so there’s a little bit of a distraction at the moment but I feel pretty positive Georgia is going to move (betting) on next year along with a few other states,” foundation trustee Bill Pascrell said.
Sports Betting A Possibility?
Sports betting may be the immediate goal in Georgia. Casino gaming hasn’t received as much support so far, according to reports.
In the U.S., Entain is also partnered with MGM Resorts on the BetMGM online sports betting and gaming platform. The service is available in several states and this seems likely entry into the Georgia market if wagering is ever legalized.
Like in Tennessee, legislators could possibly pass mobile- and online-only options. Gov. Brian Kemp® has expressed some support for sports wagering, but that may face some obstacles. Expanding gambling requires a constitutional amendment with two-thirds of each legislative chamber authorizing placing the question on the ballot for the state’s voters.
However, former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold D. Melton argued earlier this year that this process could be circumvented and that “sports betting can be legalized as a state-run lottery for educational purposes solely through legislative action.”
Not everyone in the state shares that view. Is expanded gambling in Georgia on the horizon? That remains to be seen, but plenty in the industry will be watching when the next legislative session kicks off on Jan. 8.
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