The law asking Georgia voters if online sports betting is legalized in Georgia cleared a committee in the National House of Representatives on Wednesday.
As a constitutional amendment, House Resolution 450 requires a two-thirds majority to pass the entire house if it reaches the floor. The House Higher Education Committee approved the measure in an audio voting on Wednesday.
Under the proposed constitutional change, 15% of the first $150 million of annual revenue from sports betting will be directed towards programs and services aimed at preventing Georgians from becoming obsessed with bets and treating victims of problematic gambling victims. The rest will be used to manage sports betting and support Georgia’s pre-kindergarten programs.
Legalized gambling laws have been repeatedly introduced at general meetings in recent years, but have not been able to win the passage. If sports betting is made through Congress this year, Georgia voters will decide on a statewide voting question for November 2026.
The committee also passed an enablement bill designed to spell out details of how sports betting will be run in Georgia.
House Bill 686 calls on Georgia Lottery Company to manage sports betting. We will award 16 licenses to applicants interested in running a sportsbook. This includes some of the state’s professional sports teams who are interested in obtaining licenses.
House Minority Whipsum Park in D-Lawrenceville revised the bill on Wednesday to raise the tax rate on revenues from sports betting from 20% to 24%. In doing so, he said, he would increase $40 million a year for the pre-kindergarten program.
A potential underlying bill (sponsored by Rep. Marcus Weedawer R -watkinsville) was approved by audio vote after the committee unanimously passed an amendment to the park.
Allowing both constitutional amendments and bills to move to the House Rules Committee schedules the votes of the house. The measure will compete for a deadline for the bill to pass either the House or Senate on a busy crossover day Thursday to continue living.
