Legislation
US – Georgia to consider remote only sports betting bill
By Phil - 26 February 2020
Georgia’s State Senator Burt Jones, R-Jackson, has submitted proposed legislation that would allow the Georgia Lottery to manage an online sports wagering system. He pitched the underground sports betting market in Georgia at generating $1.5bn.
The bill would see a 20 per cent tax on revenues with each operator having to pay an application fee of $50,000 and a $900,000 annual license fee. Operators would have to use official league data to settle in-game bets with college betting allowed albeit with very limited prop bets. All but five per cent of the tax would go to the HOPE scholarship. The remainder would go to the Department of Behavioural Health and Developmental Disabilities to fund addiction treatment services. Players would have to be over 21 to bet and be physically in Georgia to place a bet.
“It’s going on currently,” said Senator Jones. “And so we feel like, much like the internet sales tax, that it’s just an opportunity for us to capitalise on an entity that’s already operating.”
Billy Linville, a lobbyist representing the Atlanta teams, added: “Today, Georgians are spending more than a $1bn in the illegal sports betting market. It’s now time for them to wager in a fully regulated environment that protects consumers and the integrity of games.”
In addition to this, State Republican Ron Stephens is hoping to expand gaming in the state via a constitutional amendment that would allow various forms of gambling, including horse racing, sports betting, and casinos. He wants to allow a small number of resort casinos to generate new investment and jobs. That proposal would need two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate.
