Demand for Georgia Sports Betting is Rising

More people seem to be interested in Georgia sports betting as we close out 2024. Will policymakers take notice as they prepare for 2025 legislative meetings that begin early in the new year?

The answer to that question is probably “yes.” Though it has yet to be legalized, sports betting in Georgia has appeared on numerous state agendas over the years. With 39 states now having legalized sports betting in some form, the subject is bound to come up in The Peach State yet again.

Still, this does not necessarily mean anything if the impetus to legalize Georgia sports betting remains the same. A handful of political issues have derailed past attempts to green light wagering in The Peach State. At this time, it is not quite clear what would reasonably sway a vast majority of lawmakers to embrace a change.

However, among Georgians themselves, it is starting to seem like interest is at an all-time high. Might that be enough to influence what happens next?

Attempts to Access Georgia Sports Betting Accounts Significantly Rose in Recent Weeks

Sam Maquillan of Legal Sports Report spoke to News Wire’s Craig Kish earlier this week. And the former cited data that points to a rising interest in Georgia sports betting:

“Data comes in every week, every Sunday, from this company called GeoComply, which essentially tracks all of the app logins from people in legal [sports betting] states and non-legal [sports betting] states. And they saw that there was 42,000 login attempts into legal sports betting apps in Georgia this past Sunday. [That is] up 105 percent from the same weekend last year. And not much has changed since then. Sports betting is still illegal [in Georgia]. There was 7,000 accounts associated with Georgia residents that tried to log in. That was also more than double from last year. It is kind of demonstrating how the demand for sports betting in big non-legal states like Georgia is growing while legislatively, there doesn’t seem to be much progress being made.”

This type of increase in attempted logins is always noteworthy. But it is especially telltale in Georgia’s case.

We are not talking about a market with opaque gambling laws. Georgia sports betting is illegal. And it has never come close to legalization. These attempts cannot even be explained by a recent Georgia sports betting bill. No initiative made it on to the 2024 electoral ballot.

If it had, you could understand the uptick. Consider the recent legalization of Missouri sports betting as an example. People from The Show Me State may have increased login attempts to see whether the vote resulted in an immediate launch. It of course didn’t. (Missouri sports betting will not roll out until the second half of 2025.) But in that case, you can at least understand why there’d be a major increase in login attempts.

Could The NFL Season be Responsible for the Latest Data in The Peach State?

Looking at the potential impact betting on the NFL can have on wagering data during its season is always a good idea. And sure, in this instance, the ongoing football season could be driving an uptick in login attempts.

However, it does not explain a 105 percent increase.

For starters, as we already mentioned, the Georgia sports betting laws are not new. Nor have they been up for recent amendments. Most people who live there know it’s illegal. They would not just randomly attempt to sign into sportsbooks just because it’s football season.

This is especially true when it’s the middle of football season. It would be one thing if Georgia sports bettors tried accessing legal wagering sites in Week 1. But this Georgia sports betting data comes from Week 12.

Finally, it’s tough to write off the increase when the data is being compared to the same time period last year. And back in November 2023, sports betting in Georgia was still illegal, and the NFL season was still more than halfway over.

Indeed, we cannot unequivocally say there are no other outside forces at play. But it is well within reason to look at this data and come to the conclusion that the demand for Georgia sports betting is trending upward.

Does Apparently Rising Demand Mean Anything for the Future of Georgia Sports Betting?

Overall, the answer to this question should be “yes.” If Georgians are intrigued by the growing popularity of online sports betting in the United States, their interest should increase the likelihood that a bill gets hashed out during legislative sessions next year.

Of course, we know better than to simply assume as much.

Political agendas always shape the fabric of society—regardless of the issue. The matter of Georgia sports betting is no different. Last time around, in fact, we saw the partisan element at play.

Laws in Georgia essentially mandate that the overwhelming majority of Congress approve any sports betting bill. The threshold is so high that it goes beyond simply generating bi-partisan support.

Passing an initiative under these circumstances is tough almost regardless of the proposal. It is exponentially harder when it comes to an inherently divisive topic such as Georgia sports betting.

That does not mean a sports betting bill stands no chance in 2025. Once more, lawmakers have shown a willingness to discuss it. But given how much opposition the last measure had, particularly when it came to allocating prospective revenue, the immediate outlook for Georgia sports betting remains unchanged.

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