Geogia Senator: Let State Voters Have Final Sports Betting Say

• Georgia’s  House Committee on Higher Education heard a resolution to amend the state constitution to allow sports betting
• Sen. Bill Cowsert’s (R-16) resolution will leave sports betting’s final fate to state voters
• The committee members want changes to revenue disbursements

Georgia voters should have a say in major policy shifts, a Georgia Senator said yesterday, and the decision to legalize sports betting should be no different.

The Georgia House Committee on Higher Education considered Sen. Bill  Cowsert’s (R-16)  SR 579 on Monday to require a constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting. The resolution is part of an overall package to legalize sports betting in the state.

“When you have this major of a policy shift, the public should be invited in to vote on this,” Cowsert said.

‘Democracy Is a Powerful Thing’

The Georgia Senate passed SR 579 in late February by a 41-12 vote, surpassing the required three-fifths majority. If approved by the House with a three-fifths majority, the resolution will require Georgia voters to approve a constitutional amendment in the November general election to legalize sports betting.

Cowsert proposed an amendment to SB 386 bill to require sports betting be legalized through a constitutional amendment when it was voted on by the Senate in early February. As it was introduced by Sen. Clint Dixon (R-45), it did not require an amendment. It would have classified sports betting as a new lottery game and required it to be regulated entirely by the Georgia Lottery.

Dixon’s bill was heard by the committee last week.

By legalizing sports betting through a constitutional amendment, it frees up the state to determine what sports betting tax revenues can support. All lottery revenues have to fund HOPE Scholarships and pre-kindergarten programs in the state

The last time Georgia residents had a say on such an expansion of new gaming was in 1992 when voters approved an amendment to allow a lottery in the state. Cowsert said sports betting’s outcome should be no different.

“Democracy is a pretty powerful thing. I don’t think you can rightly criticize allowing the citizens of this state to decide what they do and do not want. They might make a bad choice, they might make a good choice, but it’s not always appropriate for us to dictate our will on them, especially with huge policy issues like this,” he said.

Possible Amendments to Tax Revenue Disbursements

The original bill would have funneled nearly all sports betting tax revenues into the Georgia Lottery, which would have been used to fund HOPE Scholarships and pre-kindergarten programs in the state. Cowsert filed his resolution with the following sports betting tax revenue disbursements:

• 80% into the Educational Opportunity Fund. The fund will support pre-kindergarten programs in the state. Once fully funded, the remaining revenues will go to the HOPE scholarships
• 15% to a responsible gaming fund
• 5% to a Sports Promotion Fund to attract major sporting events to the state

Committee Chairman Rep. Chuck Martin (R-49) objected to the sports promotion fund, which would be used to attract events such as the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoffs, and FIFA World Cup to the state. He said additional funding should be used to combat problem gaming and addiction services in the state.

Cowsert stressed he was open to amending the revenue disbursements at the request of the committee.

Constituents in Favor of Sports Betting

Rep. Rhonda Burnough (D-77), noted she would likely not be supporting the resolution and asked why so much energy was being placed into legalizing sports betting. The monetary benefits will be minimal for the state, she said, and would provide no benefits for her district.

Why should the state consider legalized sports betting? Cowsert said residents have been betting on sports for decades and constituents have clamored for its legalization for the past several years.

“Constituents want this. The sports teams want it. Many other states are already doing this because it’s so popular in American culture, and particularly in the SEC. I’m not saying that jokingly. We’ve been betting on college football and professional football in our state, in our region, for generations,” he said.

Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-121) agreed and said sports betting has been one of the most talked about pieces of legislation in his district and among his constituents since last year. Wiedower introduced his own sports betting legislation in 2023.

“You start talking about constituents…I’ve gotten more emails for sports betting than I have against it since last year. That’s just a fact.”