New-Twist Georgia Legal Sports Betting Bill Introduced

The battle for legal sports betting legislation in the state of Georgia took an interesting turn Tuesday night with a proposal that would eliminate one of the sticking points for other previously failed attempts.

SB 316 was introduced in the Georgia Senate and is sponsored by 16 of its members. It is a rare bipartisan Bill that has also quickly garnered the support of the bulk of Georgia's professional teams, including the Atlanta Braves brass which has been a vocal supporter of such a plan.

The new-twist option with SB 316? A dreaded constitutional amendment would not be needed under the plan. A constitutional amendment would need a whopping two-thirds support in both the state House and Senate to pass - not exactly an easy task in this political environment.

What's in the Bill?

SN 312 would legalize the best sports betting apps and make available a total of 16 licenses for the state. The Georgia Lottery Corporation would be tabbed to regulate the platform.

Legal sports betting would become a lottery game, and therefore would become legal without the need for a constitutional amendment. By sports betting being tethered to the lottery, a major hurdle would be eliminated altogether. A majority in the House and Senate would be needed rather than the two-third requirement for a constitutional amendment.

A 15% tax on adjusted gross sports betting revenue would be levied on providers in the Peach State and the best sportsbooks would be charged a $100,000 application fee. They would be subject to a $1 million fee every year to renew their application.

Wagers on college sports would be permitted.

SB 316 has broad support

Legal sports betting and betting sites in Georgia seem to have all of the support that it could need. Iconic state teams such as the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, and MLB's Atlanta Braves, and one of the most storied NCAA programs in the country Georgia Bulldogs are huge supporters of such a platform.

Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and his Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) have also apparently thrown their support behind the latest Bill, Senate Minority Leader Sen. Gloria Butler (D) and other Senators have voiced their support for getting a long-awaited legal sports wagering bill over the finish line.

Another bill, anyone?

At the beginning of the month, Sen. Bill Cowsert (R) proposed his own legal sports betting Bill for the senior chamber to consider. A new Georgia Sports Betting Commission would be created under SB 172.

Retail and mobile sports betting would be made available under the Bill with type 1 licenses and lower-level type 2 licenses up for grabs in the state. The tax rate would be set at 25% on adjusted gross income for parlays, prop bets, and live bets as well as 20% on adjusted gross income from all other wagers.

The main difference? A constitutional amendment would be required.

So, the appetite is there for legal sports betting in Georgia. The trick is finishing the job that so many have advocated for.