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Georgia Discusses Gambling in Public Hearings: State Still Does Not Have Online Casinos, Sportsbooks

Sports Writer

Publish Date: Aug 01, 2025

Fact checked by: Sara Jane Gamelli

Key Points

Georgia Lawmakers Host Public Hearings on Benefits, Dangers of Legalized Online Gaming
Neither Online Sportsbooks nor Casinos are Legal in Georgia
Head of Echo Park Speedway Says "citizens of Georgia need to decide" Future of Gaming in the State

The long-simmering debate over legalizing gambling in Georgia is back on the table, with lawmakers once again weighing the odds of bringing casinos and sports betting to the state.

Georgia is one of the largest states that does not have legal online sportsbooks, casinos, or regulated daily fantasy games.

The state, which is guided largely by a conservative Republican-controlled state legislature, has even shunned expansion of lottery sales. No retail casinos operate in the state either.

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A new legislative study committee opened its first hearing last Monday, and the House Study Committee on Gaming plans to examine online sports betting and horse racing this fall.

The inaugural meeting of that body zeroed in on the prospect of destination casinos

The president of EchoPark Speedway made a new pitch for an old plan: building a major casino resort next to the racetrack in Hampton. Ed Clark argued the project would create up to 3,000 construction jobs and as many as 3,000 permanent jobs in Henry County.

Clark claims 70% of residents currently commute elsewhere for work

"[A local Georgia casino] is an opportunity for them to work closer to home and make a comparable salary," Clark told the committee on July 28.

Proponents contend it is time to let the public decide the matter

A straw poll conducted by the Georgia Republican Party during last year's primary showed overwhelming support for putting the issue to a statewide vote, according to Clark, who has a financial stake in expansion of gaming in the Peach State.

"I don't think the legislature should be legislating morality," he said. "I think the citizens of Georgia need to decide."

Georgia is one of a handful of states that has as many as three major professional sports teams (NFL, MLB, and NBA, all in Atlanta) but DOES NOT have some form of legal sports betting.

Conservative groups warn of problem gambling, financial hardships

However, religious and conservative advocates warned that any economic windfall would be outweighed by societal costs.

"When gambling increases, crime goes up, bankruptcies go up, addiction goes up," said Mike Griffin, a representative for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. "Jobs go down, savings go down, and spending on necessities goes down."

Opponents to legalize sports betting and casinos warned that a public referendum would be tilted in the industry's favor.

Paul Smith, executive director of the Christian policy group Citizen Impact, said that well-funded gambling lobbyists could easily bankroll a campaign to sway voters.

However, as was seen in California when two ballot proposals that were funded heavily by commercial gaming companies failed, money doesn't necessarily lead to wins for the lobbyists with deep pockets.

A crucial question is what to do with the potential revenue from legal Georgia gaming

Previous proposals for six casinos statewide have projected a $2 billion annual economic impact. That projection has come under scrutiny.

Members of the panel floated ideas from funding healthcare to offsetting federal budget cuts. Others suggested following the model of the Georgia Lottery, which directs its proceeds to HOPE Scholarships and pre-kindergarten programs.

Supporters on the committee insist their goal is not to expand gambling but to control what is already happening illegally.

"My effort is not to expand or encourage but to regulate and put guardrails around things already happening in this state," said the committee's chairman, Rep. Marcus Wiedower, R-Watkinsville. For the latest updates, visit our Ballislife Play section.

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