ATLANTA – Georgia remained one of 12 states not to have some form of sports wagering when the state’s Rules Committee declined to consider two bills this week.
The state’s House Higher Education Committee moved forward two amended sports betting bills on Thursday, one a state constitutional amendment and the other that would have enabled legislation, according to iGamingBusiness. But those bills never made it to the House.
This week’s action becomes the fourth time Georgia lawmakers considered legalizing sports wagering since 2021 without ultimately getting two-third approval in both the state House and Senate.
Georgia’s proposed constitutional amendment, named SR 579, was recently been amended to include up to $22.5 million to promote responsible gambling through tax revenue.
While Georgia appeared the closest to becoming the next state to legalize sports wagering, efforts continue in Minnesota, where multiple bills have been introduced. Missouri is moving toward placing a sports wagering on the November ballot.
Legal sports wagering in North Carolina began on March 11, in advance of NCAA conference basketball tournaments and the current NCAA Tournament, with a reported $200 wagered over the first week it was legal.