Georgia Online Sports Betting Legislature Moves Forward

Online Sports Betting Legislation Moves Forward in Georgia

By Lisa Spencer Senior Editor Updated: 14 March 2025

Lisa Spencer Senior Editor

As a Senior Editor at Betting.US, Lisa Spencer is a valuable member of our expert team. With a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Lisa is adept in gambling theory and analyzing odds. She contributes by writing online sportsbook reviews and finding competitive markets to help our readers make an informed choice.

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A Package of Bills to Change the Market

Along with a constitutional amendment and a framework bill, HB 686, which proposed an increased tax rate from 20% to 24%, was also passed. The committee defeated an amendment to HR 450 that would have added igaming to the referendum to go before voters.

Should the legislation pass, the bills would legalize online sports betting and would be on the November 2026 ballot. It would then go live on July 31, 2027. This legislation would create a competitive marketplace, and the Georgia Lottery Corporation wiould be the regulator.

All of Georgia’s professional sports teams, along with Augusta National Golf Club, Atlanta Speedway, and the PGA Tour, would be eligible for licenses. In addition to this, there would be seven stand-alone licenses available. The National Lottery would also be able to offer a digital platform.

More Money for Education

Representative Sam Park considered both the amendments with the interest of raising more funds for universal Pre-K education. According to the text of HR 450, 85% of the first $150 million in wagering tax revenue would be directed to funding the universal pre-K program and the state’s HOPE scholarships.

Watkinsville Republican Rep. Marcus Wiedower sponsored the sports betting legislation. It excludes horse racing, casino gambling, brick-and-mortar stores, and kiosks.

Wiedower said,

I have always tried to be transparent while working on sports gambling measures. My latest proposal is to have the yearly revenue distributed the same way as the state’s educational lottery program, which pays for HOPE college scholarships and pre-K education.

Committee chair Chuck Martin opposed adding igaming to the amendment, stating that he wanted to learn more about igaming before backing a bill for it. Many lawmakers around the US agree with this thinking.

In regard to the framework bill, Wiedower said the only difference between the 2023 and 2024 versions is that two-factor authentication was added, and promotional activity was excluded.