Attempts to Legalize Georgia Sports Betting Fail Again...What Happens Now?

Another attempt to legalize Georgia sports betting has officially failed.

Though this outcome is not unexpected, the degree to which it failed has taken some by surprise. In previous years, attempts to legalize sports betting in Georgia at least gained serious traction in the House of Representatives. Problems have typically bubbled to the surface in the Senate.

This time, however, the initiative disintegrated before ever making it out of the House. In fact, the most recent bill was never voted on by members of the House. It apparently lacked the momentum necessary to go that far. 

Naturally, this paints a bleak picture for those invested in the future of Georgia sports betting. Others, meanwhile, continue to point toward the number of times lawmakers have discussed it. A year seldom goes by without some type of discussion about bringing sports betting to The Peach State. Proposals would not even make it this far if there wasn’t serious interest in legalizing.

To what end this matters is debatable. Progress is not linear, but the potential Georgia sports betting timeline feels like it has regressed, never mind remaining static.  

Is There Still Hope for Georgia Sports Betting in 2025

Despite a recent deadline, the newest Georgia sports betting bill is not technically dead. Not yet anyway. As Jeff Amy writes for the Associated Press:

‘Efforts to send a state constitutional amendment to voters failed Thursday in the state legislature, as neither the amendment nor a bill laying out details ever came to a vote in the House.Thursday was the deadline for each Georgia chamber to pass its own legislation to the opposite chamber. The measures still could be revived in the last month of the session, but it is much less likely. Lawmakers could still consider the measures in the 2026 half of Georgia’s two-year session.

“‘It came in late and I guess people just weren’t there yet,” said House Higher Education Committee Chairman Chuck Martin, an Alpharetta Republican, referring to a bill and constitutional amendment that were introduced only last week. We’ll keep working with people and trying to do what’s in the best interest of the state.’”

Martin also notes that he won’t rule out a Georgia sports betting initiative appearing on the 2026 electoral ballot. This suggests the matter will receive more consideration, if not in 2025 then surely at the beginning of next year.

However, the bar for a constitutional amendment in The Peach State is high. Any proposal needs a two-thirds majority approval rating in both the House and Senate to pass. From there, Georgians will also have their say. If an electoral referendum does not win the popular vote among state residents, it sends the issue back to square on. 

Georgia Voters Like Will Not be a Roadblock to Sports Betting Legalization

If and when a sports betting bill makes it out of the House and Senate, voters are expected to approve it. 

A recent poll shows a majority of Georgia residents favor legal sports betting. This is part of the reason why the latest initiatives focus on a constitutional amendment. Previously, lawmakers have wondered whether they were better off bypassing that route. This way, they argue, Georgia could legalize sports betting without having to worry about the voter sentiment. 

As it turns out, though, the policymakers themselves are proving to be a bigger obstacle. Past discussions have seen lines divided on everything from how Georgia sports betting will launch to where tax revenue should be allocated.

Of course, it is not entirely clear what went sideways this time around. Martin appears to think the measure required more time to discuss and marinate. That might be true. Then again, the terms of this proposal are not especially new. It follows much similar structures to bills of the past. 

The failure to pick up support in the House, specifically, points to more fundamental opposition and division. If that is not the case, then it speaks to a certain degree of disorganization. And that, in turn, implies Georgia sports betting isn’t much of a priority among congress members even if plenty of people do not outright oppose it.

The Legalization of Sports Betting in the United States is Slowing Down

There is another overarching reality potentially impacting Georgia sports betting talks: It may simply be getting harder to legalize sports betting in the United States.

Make no mistake, the overall processes remain the same. But the prevalence of sports betting elsewhere has left many to declare it inevitable for holdout states. This includes places such as Georgia, Texas, California, Minnesota, et al. 

In all likelihood, we will see legal sports betting eventually come to these markets. But the operative word here is eventually. We must begin assuming holdout states remain holdout states for a reason, regardless of their market appeal and earning potential.

Just consider the landscape in 2025. Georgia sports betting efforts have failed. The same goes for Minnesota sports betting efforts. There isn’t even a California sports betting bill on the table this year. While a Texas sports betting proposal is under consideration, it’s not expected to make it past the Senate. Experts are also increasingly pessimistic on the chance of Oklahoma sports betting getting legalized this year. 

Granted, the factors driving the continued absence of sports wagering varies by state. For so long, though, repeated efforts to legalize it have contributed to feelings of inevitability. But as Georgia keeps showing us, this is not necessarily the case.

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your sports betting needs: