Georgia may be known for its southern hospitality, but legal sports betting hasn’t been welcomed to the state’s landscape—yet. Despite repeated attempts from lawmakers to bring legal sports betting to Georgia, both online and in-person betting options remain off the table.

While neighboring states have embraced online sportsbooks and retail betting, Georgia has been slower in making the leap.

Gambling is prohibited in the Peach State’s constitution, although lottery games are permitted and daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators accept entries in the state. GA bettors currently cannot bet on sports in person, online, or through mobile apps.

For now, sports betting enthusiasts in Georgia have to wait until at least the 2025 session of the Georgia General Assembly for any new legislation to pass.

The likelihood that legal sports betting will require a constitutional amendment is yet another hurdle Georgia sportsbooks will have to climb. However, with strong public interest and growing momentum in the state legislature, legal sports betting could be on the horizon.

In this guide, we’ll look at Georgia’s sports betting landscape, the roadblocks to legalization, and what to expect when sports betting finally becomes legal in the Peach State.

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History of Sports Betting in Georgia

Since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling overturning (the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act), Georgia has seen multiple failed attempts to legalize sports betting. Legislative efforts began in 2020 with bills like HB 378 and SB 403, but none passed.

Despite various proposals in 2021, 2022, and 2023, including the Georgia Lottery Sports Wagering Act and SB 57, all efforts stalled. In 2024, SB 386 briefly passed the Senate but ultimately failed, delaying legalization until at least 2025. Keep reading to discover the history of attempts to legalize GA sports betting.

• May 14, 2018: The US Supreme Court overturns the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which banned sports betting in the US. This means individual US states like GA can pass new legislation legalizing and regulating sportsbooks.

• February 7, 2020: Representative Ron Stephens (R-164th District) introduces HB 378 to the Georgia House of Representatives. The legislation proposes a referendum to approve sports betting in GA but fails to pass the legislature’s two-thirds majority voting requirement on constitutional amendments. 

• February 21, 2020: Senator Burt Jones (R-25th District) introduces SB 403 to the Georgia Senate, legalizing sports betting through the Georgia Lottery with a $900,000 annual license fee and a 10% tax rate on operators. The bill fails to make it past the committee stage.

• June 20, 2020: HB 903, a traffic law, is amended by Rep. Stephens to include provisions legalizing sports betting. It fails to pass after the Senate’s second reading of the bill.

• January 26, 2021: Rep. Stephens introduces HB 86, also known as the Georgia Lottery Mobile Sports Wagering Act, giving the Georgia Lottery the power to regulate sports betting in the state. The legislation permits professional sports betting but bans collegiate sports betting. Despite passing through the committee, it dies in the House.

• February 20, 2021: Senator Jeff Mullis (R-53rd District) introduces SB 142 and SR 135 to the Georgia Senate. SB 142 legalizes retail and online sports betting in Georgia, while SR 135 proposes adding sports betting to the November 2022 ballot. After passing the Senate in March, neither is voted on by the end of the legislative session.

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• March 31, 2022: Sen. Mullis reintroduces SB 142 and SR 135 with one week remaining of the 2022 General Assembly session. Despite both bills passing the Senate, SB 142 dies on the House floor, while SR 135 is heavily amended, with all sports betting content removed.

• June 14, 2021: FanDuel, one of the largest sports betting operators in the country, opens a new technology campus at Ponce City Market in Atlanta.

• January 31, 2023: Eleven Georgia State Senators, including Senators Billy Hickman (R-4th District), Clint Dixon (R-45th District), Ed Harbison (D-15th District), and Sonya Halpern (D-39th District) introduce a new piece of legislation, SB 57 or the Georgia Sports Betting Integrity Act, which allows up to 18 online sports betting licenses. It is accompanied by SR 538, setting a July 2, 2025, deadline for Georgia gambling legislation. State Senators reject the legislation by a margin of 19 to 37.

• February 13, 2023: HB 380, a bill to legalize sports betting through the Georgia Lottery, is introduced to the House but fails to win the support of representatives.

• February 14, 2023: A bipartisan resolution calling for a constitutional amendment for sports betting in GA, SR 140, is introduced to the Senate. The bill passes its first reading but fails to progress further. The same day, a further bill, SB 172, is introduced, again empowering the Georgia Lottery to operate GA sports betting.

• February 15, 2023: HR 210, a resolution calling on a referendum on sports betting, is introduced to the House by six Democratic representatives, including Representatives James Beverly (D-143rd District), Stacey Evans (D-57th District), Billy Mitchell (D-88th District), and Karen Bennett (D-94th District). It fails to pass its second reading. The same day, a more comprehensive resolution proposing legal sports betting, pari-mutuel betting, and casino gambling is introduced by Rep. Beverly and Rep. Stephens. Both fail to pass.

• January 10, 2024: Former Majority Leader of the Georgia Senate, Senator Bill Cowsert (R-46th District), introduces SB 172 to legalize sports betting in the state. The legislation requires a two-thirds majority in both houses and fails to pass.

• January 24, 2024: Lawmakers introduce a new bill to legalize sports betting, SB 386, which doesn’t require a constitutional amendment.

• February 1, 2024: Senate Bill 386 passes the Georgia State Senate with a 35-15 vote. Despite this, Senators subject the bill to a resolution requiring a constitutional amendment in SR 579, meaning the legislation requires a two-thirds majority in both houses. The package intends to permit up to 16 sportsbooks to operate in the Peach State with a 20% tax.

• March 29, 2024: The Georgia House of Representatives fails to pass SB 386 and SR 579, meaning that bettors in the Peach State will need to wait until the 2025 legislative session for a GA sports betting bill.

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Legality of Sports Betting in Georgia

Georgia remains a pretty restrictive US state when it comes to gambling, with both retail and online sports betting currently illegal. While the Georgia State Lottery is the only form of legal gambling, multiple lawmakers proposed sports betting to the state in recent years.

Lawmakers and bettors alike are pushing for change, with numerous bills and resolutions introduced since the overturning of PASPA in 2018. Below, we’ve broken down the current status of retail and online sports betting in Georgia, highlighting key legal developments and potential future opportunities.

Retail Sports Betting

Retail sports betting is currently illegal in Georgia, and there are no land-based casinos or racetracks within the state. Plus, the odds of establishing land-based casinos with retail sportsbooks are slim in the near future.

Though horse racing is not prohibited in GA, there are no formal racetracks or off-track betting (OTB) locations. The closest horse races take place at local county fairs, but GA bettors looking for pari-mutuel betting options must travel out of state.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Georgia continue to focus on legalizing online sports betting, potentially using the Georgia Lottery as a future regulator. As other states utilizing the lottery as a sports betting regulator, like D.C. and Ohio, have offered sports betting kiosks in lottery retailers alongside online sports betting, this could be offered in GA in the future if legislation is passed.

For those eager to place retail wagers, North Carolina offers a nearby alternative. Caesars operates two land-based casinos there, with Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino located about two hours from Atlanta.

Online Sports Betting

Online sports betting is not yet legal in Georgia, but there have been multiple attempts to change that. Legislative efforts in 2021, 2022, and 2023 aimed to legalize online betting, but none succeeded. If approved, these efforts would have allowed at least six online sportsbooks to operate in the state, making it the only legal avenue for placing sports wagers, as Georgia has no brick-and-mortar gambling venues.

Senate Bill 386 gained traction in 2023 when it passed the State Senate with a 35-15 vote. However, the bill hit a roadblock when lawmakers inserted a resolution requiring a constitutional amendment to permit sports betting.

The proposal, outlined in SR 579, needed a two-thirds majority in both legislative houses to move forward. If passed, it would have allowed up to 16 sportsbooks to operate under a 20% tax rate.

In the meantime, daily fantasy sports (DFS) platforms like FanDuel and DraftKings operate in Georgia. Though not formally regulated, they continue to offer DFS services across the state. Lawmakers submitted legislation in the 2024 legislative session to legalize DFS but didn’t receive the necessary support to pass.

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Future of Georgia Sports Betting

The future of sports betting in Georgia remains uncertain but promising. Though sports betting is not yet legal, the state legislature has seen multiple failed attempts to pass bills in recent years, including Senate Bill 386 in 2024.

With strong public interest and growing support among lawmakers, many expect another push for legalization in the 2025 legislative session. If passed, legal sports betting would likely be overseen by the Georgia Lottery, potentially allowing up to 16 online sportsbooks. However, a constitutional amendment may be required, posing a significant hurdle.

If approved, Georgia’s sports betting market could experience rapid growth. As the 8th most populous state in the US and the home of major sports franchises like the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Braves, expect a flurry of major operators like FanDuel and DraftKings to offer sports wagering to bettors in the Peach State should legislation pass.

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