Georgia

There have been countless attempts and arguments over the years, but Georgia has remained unable to legalize sports betting in any capacity. A push for legalization doesn’t seem to be slowing down, so there, of course, is always a chance it will happen over the coming years.

Suppose you’re a Georgia resident who caught the gambling bug. In that case, we’re sorry to inform you that the only thing available in the state is daily fantasy sports apps, even though they are unregulated. The state came close to legalizing DFS apps in 2017, but the Senate did not vote after the House passed it.

Daily fantasy products were a topic of debate once again during the 2024 legislative sessions in the state, but for now, nothing seems to be coming from it. Some of the apps that are operating in the state include PrizePicks, Underdog, and Betr Picks.

While some states that don’t have legal sports betting at least allow horse racing, that is not the case in the Peach State, as no racetracks or racebook apps are offered in GA.

Online sports betting in The Peach State

It seems that each year, Georgia has gotten closer and closer to completing the legalization of sports betting. Unfortunately, coming close is not enough to make something legal regarding bills, laws, and amendments.

Advocates of sports betting in GA have tried to get it legalized in several ways, including through a vote or strictly through the legislative process, but both methods have hit roadblocks. Most states still in the process of legalizing sports betting have run into the problem of dealing with the local tribes that run gambling in the state, but that is not an issue in GA.

In 2023 alone, the state introduced three sports betting bills, all of which would have legalized mobile sports betting. After gaining considerable momentum, SB 57, HB 380, and SR 140 died during legislative sessions on March 6, 2023. The Senate voted against SB 57 and SR 140, while HB 380 did not pass the House.

Since no casinos or racetracks exist in GA, the state has quite an open market appealing to brand-name operators. This is a big reason why the part owners of BetMGM, Entain Foundation, decided to meet with state legislators to pitch them the benefits the state would receive if they legalized sports betting.

Most recently, in 2024, neither SR 579 nor SB 386 was voted on by the House on the last day of the yearly legislative session. One of the biggest reasons was lawmakers' inability to agree on how they would spend the taxes made from sports betting. This means Georgia residents will need to wait at least another year.

Sports betting & gambling legislation in GA

While sports betting has been a consistent topic in legislative sessions in GA since 2020, obstacles remain for any legislator backing a bill. A big problem in legalizing everything is in GA; voters must approve changes like this to make it a law.

The earliest change in GA could happen is early 2025. Still, it is important to remember that even when a bill like this is passed, it takes time for the regulators of that bill, in this case, the Georgia Lottery, to set up licenses and rules for operators to follow.

The lottery remains one of the lone gambling-esque markets offered in the Peach State. Other markets like online casinos and online poker remain on the back burner as state legislators try to at least get sports betting off the ground.

Most recent updates from the GA sports betting scene

• January 21, 2025: With the 2024-25 college football season over, the Georgia Bulldogs have opened at (+550) to win the 2026 National Championship.

• January 9, 2025: Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has announced he will be entering the transfer portal. UGA has opened at (+600) to win the 2026 National Championship.

• December 23, 2024: The Sugar Bowl is set as the Georgia Bulldogs will play Notre Dame. Even with Carson Beck injured, the Bulldogs are listed as (-1.5) favorites.

• December 16, 2024: There is no timeline for UGA quarterback Carson Beck and his injury. With that, DK has the look-ahead lines for Bulldogs as (+1.5) underdogs to Notre Dame and (-6.5) point favorites over Indiana.

• December 9, 2024: The Georgia Bulldogs were able to beat Texas in overtime for the SEC title, giving them the #2 seed in the College Football Playoff. UGA is now (+400) to win the National Championship.

• December 2, 2024: Despite needing eight overtimes to beat Georgia Tech, the Georgia Bulldogs will play Texas in the SEC Championship game. The Bulldogs are currently (+2.5) point underdogs.

• November 25, 2024: With all the shake-ups in week 13 of the college football season, the Georgia Bulldogs have clinched a spot in the SEC title game, and they are (155) to win it.

• November 18, 2024: Legendz Social Sportsbook goes live in Georgia and 42 states, claiming the highest RTP in social casinos. With free play, props, parlays, and daily bonuses, 18+ players enjoy an exciting sportsbook experience and the chance to redeem real prizes.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

Casinos, sportsbooks, and racetracks cannot be found anywhere in Georgia. While GA does have a state lottery, that is about as far as “gambling” goes in the Peach State, as residents don’t even have tribal casinos at their disposal.

Based on the bills that have been brought up in legislative sessions, if Georgia does legalize sports betting, in all likelihood, it would be online only, so retail sportsbooks may not even be a thing in Georgia if sports betting is made legal over time.

Sports betting in neighboring states

Tennessee’s decision to legalize sports betting has been one of Georgia’s biggest influences in their increased efforts to do the same. While it is taking GA longer than most would hope, at the very least, the state’s residents can make the short trip to Tennessee and North Carolina.

You can click on the surrounding states below to learn more about their specifics.

What’s next for GA betting apps?

With all of the momentum Georgia had with sports betting bills in 2023, there should be optimism that mobile sports betting is not far away. Since most of the bills have mentioned strictly mobile betting, the state could open up quite a few licenses, which would cause an influx of big sportsbooks looking to join the state’s market.

Between the success and popularity of the pro sports teams in GA, popular sportsbooks like Caesars and FanDuel should have plenty of chances to enter the market through partnerships with those teams.

These sportsbooks will need to wait yet another year to join the market, though, as both SR 579 and SB 386 were not voted on during the 2024 legislative session.

Potential sports betting revenue impact on Georgia's economy

Until sports betting becomes legal in Georgia, we won't truly know how much the state can earn monthly from it. According to Senator Brandon Beach, who introduced new sports betting legislation in 2024, the state's betting revenue could total around $900 million per year from the legalization.

Of course, this is just speculation, but these numbers don't seem far-fetched at all. When looking at Ohio, the second closest state to Georgia in terms of pure population, its total betting revenue has already crossed the $1.7 billion mark, which has filled the state's tax coffers with over $356 million. For 2024, the yearly total betting revenue of OH totals around $950 million, which bodes well for Georgia's estimates if they can ever get a bill over the finish line.

Meanwhile, one neighboring state, North Carolina, averaged over $60 monthly betting million in revenue in 2024, which resulted in +$10 million of tax income for the state on a monthly basis. In addition, as of January 2025, Tennessee has racked up over $283 million in sports betting tax income since it decided to legalize such activity.