Georgia Sports Betting Will Be Back on Table in 2025

Last year’s failed attempt to legalize Georgia sports betting apparently will not deter another one in 2024.

State Representative Marcus Wiedower told BetGeorgia that he intends to file a 2025 initiative that incorporates elements of Senate Bill 386 (SB 386) and State Resolution 579 (SR 579) from 2024. Both pieces of legislation aimed to legalize sports betting in Georgia.

Many will consider this claim from Rep. Wiedower a given. And it might be. Georgia has tried on numerous occasions to legalize sports betting. Interest clearly exists. But last year’s push never truly made it to the floor for genuine consideration. That kind of stall adds ambiguity to the future of Georgia sports betting.

To be sure, this uncertainty endures despite Wiedower’s plans to resume discussions. Most notably, if the framework of these deals wasn’t enough in 2024, what’s going to change next year? Beyond that, it still isn’t totally clear which hangups need to be ironed out. So much of conversation surrounding sports betting in The Peach State comes back to party agendas rather than macro issues.

This is extremely problematic. If Georgia wants to legalize sports betting with a constitutional amendment, it needs a two-thirds majority approval. You cannot reach that level of support without bi-partisan collaboration.

Are the state’s Democrats and Republicans aligned enough for a bill to be improved in time for the 2026 general elections? Let’s explore the most important factors.

Why Georgia Sports Betting Failed in 2024

During his conversation with BetGeorgia, Wiedower offers an explanation of what went wrong for Georgia sports betting in 2024. From BetGeorgia:

“A reason why it didn’t move, Wiedower said, was the mixed signals Republican leadership received from their Democratic colleagues. With Minority Leader James Beverly, D-Macon, not running for re-election this year, it appeared that some in that party were trying to make their move to become the next leader. ‘It’s obviously super frustrating to me that that would have played a role in this when I worked as hard as I did to try to get them some things they wanted,’ Wiedower said. ‘…I think that my leadership was uncomfortable pulling the trigger and not wanting (sports betting) to come to the floor if it wasn’t going to be supported.’

“Wiedower, though, refused to blame the Democratic representatives for solely being the reason why neither SR579, a measure that would have put a constitutional amendment question on the November ballot, nor SB 386, the enacting legislation that would have created as many as 16 Georgia sports betting licenses, advanced. He added that there were still members from his party who were on the fence as well.”

Again, this explanation does not exactly point to specific issues within SR 579 and SB 386. That can be flummoxing from an outsider’s perspective.

However, Wiedower does at least seem like he is trying to preserve collaboration between the two parties. While he cites frustrations with Democratic stances, he made sure to note his own party has nowhere near a consensus. This approach is important. Doling out too much blame one way or the other is a good way to lay the groundwork for a less productive conversation next year.

Georgia Also Needs to Settle on a Method of Sports Betting Legalization

Another primary issue facing Georgia sports betting is the method of legalization. SR 579 seeks to legalize sports betting in Georgia through a constitutional amendment. That requires voter approval during a general election. SB 386, on the other hand, attempts to bypass the latter step.

The approach assumed by SB 386 was popularized by former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton. He has argued that Georgia sports betting will not require a constitutional amendment because it can be portrayed as a lottery game.

This logic did not catch on throughout the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate. The popularity of online sports betting in the United States continues to shape that opposition. Melton’s argument gets a little shakier if The Peach State wants online sportsbooks to be licensed in Georgia.

To that end, it does seem as if there is bi-partisan support for a constitutional amendment. In fact, SB 386 itself was later amended to require one.

Once that happened, it apparently gained more traction within the Senate. By that point, though, little time remained on the 2024 legislative docket. That is perhaps one reason why the Georgia sports betting bills never officially made it to the floor.

What Is The Outlook for Georgia Sports Betting in 2025?

Based on everything laid out here, it almost seems like sports betting in The Peach State may be on the fast track in 2025. And, well, that is certainly possible.

Still, we cannot know for sure until it actually happens. The two-thirds majority support is a big deal. That bar for approval is incredible. There is no guarantee Georgia sports betting has that degree of bi-partisan momentum .

Market optimists will look past that skepticism. They tend to believe the biggest obstacle facing Georgia sports betting is the method by which it’ll be legalized. And from the sound of things, this is a roadblock that has been overcome.

Plus, Representative Wiedower himself has stated that both parties have made material progress relative to where they were on previous occasions. He actually seems more concerned about the potential inclusion of pari-mutuel and casino games. Those are apparently a logistical sticking point among Republicans. They do not want them shoehorned into any Georgia sports betting initiative.

Does all of this lay the groundwork for a bi-partisan happy medium? And, by extension, a guarantee that Georgia sports betting will be on the 2026 ballot? It sounds like we will have our answer by spring 2025.

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