Georgia Online Sports Betting Bill Dies (Again), Mississippi’s Barely Hanging On
A bill to bring a constitutional amendment to Georgia voters never got heard, and the Mississippi Senate is not likely to pass a bill
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In what is becoming Georgia’s version of “Groundhog Day,” the state legislature once again failed to get sports betting legislation across the finish line.
This time, it barely got to the starting gate, as a pair of bills that would have brought the decision to the voters via referendum never got heard in the legislature.
“It came in late and I guess people just weren’t there yet,” said House Higher Education Committee Chairman Chuck Martin, referring to the bill and constitutional amendment that were introduced only last week, according to the Associated Press.
Thursday marked the deadline for bills to pass from one Georgia legislative chamber to the other. While these measures — both the bill and the amendment — could potentially be revived during the final month of the current session, their chances of advancement have significantly decreased. Lawmakers retain the option to reconsider these bills in 2026 during the second half of Georgia’s two-year legislative cycle.
“We’ll keep working with people and trying to do what’s in the best interest of the state,” Martin said.
Atlanta’s professional sports teams, business groups, and Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones support sports wagering legislation. However, despite these advocates, lawmakers have failed to pass a law in the seven legislative sessions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018.
The legislative package would have enabled Georgia’s professional sports teams, Augusta National Golf Club, Atlanta Speedway, and the PGA Tour to obtain licenses to operate sportsbooks, with seven additional stand-alone licenses available. The Georgia Lottery Corporation would have served as the regulator and operated its own betting platform.
Tax revenue would have funded educational programs, specifically universal Pre-K programs and HOPE scholarships.
Mississippi keeps it alive, for now
Meanwhile, in Mississippi, a panel of House lawmakers kept alive the effort to legalize mobile sports betting, but the bill does not appear to have enough support in the Senate, according to Mississippi Today.
Before a Tuesday evening legislative deadline passed, the House Gaming Committee inserted into two Senate bills language from a measure the full House passed last month to permit online betting.
The House Gaming Committee had to resort to the move after the Senate didn’t post the bill. Senate Gaming Chairman David Blount, a Democrat from Jackson, said he does not support the proposal, prompting not-so-veiled disappointment from House Gaming Chairman Casey Eure, a Republican from Saucier.
“This shows how serious we are about mobile sports betting,” Eure said, according to Mississippi Today. “I’ve done everything he’s asked for … I’ve done everything they’ve asked for plus some.”
The proposal would implement a 12% tax on revenue generated from sports betting, with the revenue benefiting the state’s Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund. Eure said the state is losing between $40 million and $80 million a year in tax revenue by keeping online sports betting illegal.
At present, sports wagering is permitted in the state but only on premises at retail sportsbooks located on casino properties.
The House panel inserted the mobile sports betting language into SB 2381 and SB 2510. The bills now head to the full chamber for consideration.
