Sports betting faces long odds in Georgia legislature

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - From March Madness, to the Super Bowl, to the World Series, a massive industry has quickly grown across the country as more states legalize gambling on the biggest events of the year.

In Georgia and South Carolina, online sports betting remains illegal with Georgia lawmakers once again failing to reach an agreement on the issue earlier this month.

However, those for and against it—say the issue is far from over.

House Resolution 450 would have sent the issue of sports betting to voters to decide, ultimately amending the Georgia state constitution if passed. Instead, lawmakers are left to come up with a new game plan, and gambling opponents are grateful for the win.

March Madness begins this week, and Americans are expected to legally wager $3.1 billion between the men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments, according to the American Gaming Association.

It’s money sports betting supporters say Georgia is missing out on.

“People obviously already gamble. We’ve been gambling a long time with the lottery. So people already gamble, but unfortunately, we get no revenue from these games now,” said Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway).

Democratic State Rep. Al Williams was a co-sponsor of HR 450. He says while not a gambler himself, he supports the economic development it would generate and believes it should be left up to voters.

“It’s the voters decision. If the voters say no, no more. Just leave it alone. But the voters asked to have the right to vote,” said Rep. Williams.

In last May’s primary election, Republicans placed a party question on the ballot asking voters if they’d like to decide on sports betting.

More than 80 percent of voters said “yes.”

However, opponents of the measure have concerns over gambling addiction.

“The house always wins. The house always wins. And the families suffer,” said Jeanne Seaver of Moms Against Gambling.

Jeanne Seaver is the founder of Moms Against Gambling. She says she’s been fighting against the legalization of sports betting for years, saying it can be dangerous.

“Everybody wants a quick buck. It gets to a point where it becomes an obsession. It’s like ‘okay, give us $20 and we’ll give you $30 back.’ The odds are always with the sporting agencies and not with the people gambling,” said Seaver.

The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates that 2.5 million U.S. adults meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem in a given year.

Ohio legalized sports betting in 2023. Since then, calls to the state’s United Way 211 line have been on the rise.

The line saw an increase of 277 percent in calls related to sports gambling in January 2023 compared to January 2022.

“It’s an addiction that you can’t see. You can’t see it. It’s hidden, and people go bankrupt, they’ll get forgiven of their debts and they’ll get free credit to start all over again,” said Seaver.

There’s a chance sports betting can be added back into a bill that is still pending, but when asked about the probability of that this session, Rep. Williams says this:

“Right now, it has two chances to get on a bill, that’s slim and none,” said Rep. Williams.

Georgia remains one of only 12 states that have yet to approve some form of sports betting.

Nearby states Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina all allow it.

Both Seaver and Rep. Williams say this is a topic that will continue to come up in the state legislature in the future.