A invoice that may legalize on-line sports activities betting in Georgia was formally filed because the state’s 2021 legislative session kicked off per week in the past.
HB 86 was filed final Thursday and would enable gamblers 21 or older inside Georgia state strains to wager on skilled and collegiate sporting occasions on-line. The invoice was sponsored by Rep. Ron Stephens, who instructed native media shops final month that expanded playing was a lock to go in 2021.
The invoice obtained bipartisan assist because it was co-sponsored by Rep. Billy Mitchell, Rep. Lee Hawkins, Rep. Shelly Hutchinson, Rep. Matt Dollar and Rep. Al Williams. Of the six sponsors, three are Republican and three are Democrat.
Legislation that may enable for playing outdoors of the state lottery would require an modification to the state structure, however this invoice would enable the lottery to control the sports activities betting market, which might exempt the laws from the modification course of.
The laws, referred to as the Georgia Lottery Mobile Sports Wagering Integrity Act, would tax sports activities betting firms 16% of their income. The taxes collected from sports activities betting can be used to assist fund the HOPE scholarship.
According to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the laws is supported by the 4 skilled sports activities franchises within the state.
“We don’t receive revenue from this,” Atlanta Braves President and CEO Derek Schiller instructed the AJC. “This is good for our fans, we think, from a fan engagement perspective. But it’s also good for the state because it drives new tax revenue to the state, especially in this unique time that we’re in and going to be recovering from.”
According to Stephens’ estimates, on-line sports activities betting would generate about $100 million in income. Last month, he mentioned that sports activities betting is the probably playing exercise to go this session as a result of it has the “path of least resistance.”
Outside of the lottery, playing in Georgia is extraordinarily restricted. It is likely one of the few states within the union with out brick-and-mortar casinos.
With states strapped for money stemming from the COVID-19 lockdowns, many are wanting into legalizing playing for no different cause than elevated tax income. In simply the primary few weeks of 2021, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo modified his tune on statewide on-line sports activities betting, governors in each Arizona and Kentucky are pushing for sports activities betting of their state and a sports activities betting invoice was pre-filed in Florida.
If handed in its present kind, Georgia would be part of Tennessee as the one states to supply online-only sports activities betting.