As of late August 2024, online sports betting in Georgia has yet to be legalised. This delay in passing the necessary bills that would allow sports betting enthusiasts in the Peach State the opportunity to wager on their favourite sports has been unexpected but there is a growing likelihood that this might change in 2025, opening the door for fans to bet on the biggest tournaments like the National Football League.
Nothing given
Everything earned pic.twitter.com/kHS5WtQOG3
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 28, 2024
What Has Been Behind the Delay in Legalising Online Sports Betting?
You could say that the failure to pass the laws that would see sports betting legalised in Georgia hasn’t been for the want of trying.
Lawmakers in the state have, after all, created several bills that set the framework to approve online sports betting in Georgia since the start of 2021. In 2024 alone, two bills were drawn up that once again, failed to gain approval in the House of Representatives.
Ultimately, the sticking point is how the funds generated by online gambling would be spent. Currently, there is broad agreement on a proposed 25% tax rate and a legal gambling age of 21, but there is widespread disagreement on the appropriate channels for allocating the income.
Georgia House Representative and Republican Kasey Carpenter has passionately argued that the state’s new income from online sports betting should be spent on education, which looking at the direction of travel, is likely to be the middle ground that most sides meet on when the issue is revisited in late 2024 or early 2025. The good news for sports bettors in Georgia is that it appears to be a matter of when and not if an agreement can be found.
So, what sportsbooks are likely to open in the Peach State when online betting is legalised?
The First Online Sports Betting Operators in Georgia
At first, it’s likely that half a dozen licenses will be granted to the most established online sports betting operators in the United States. Essentially, this means that Georgians can expect to see the likes of DraftKings, BetMGM, BetRivers, ESPN BET, FanDuel, and Caesars open their online doors as soon as legislation is passed.
For instance, a look at what FanDuel has to offer to new customers currently is perhaps a sign of things to come with sports fans able to bet $5 and get $200 back in bonus bets as well as receiving 3 weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket for free when they sign up.
Whatever the new generous bonuses turn out to be for sports fans in Georgia, it will be a case of good things coming to those who wait after years of back and forth in the House of Representatives.
What’s more, is that these sportsbooks will look to launch with a bang by offering significant welcome bonuses to Georgians who have waited patiently to bet on their favourite teams such as the Braves, who have seen a resurgence this MLB season thanks to new players filling the void.
4️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ feet for Money Mike! #BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/4mLHI4p313
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 28, 2024
Worth the Wait
The end must finally be in sight for Georgians, with online sports betting likely to be given the green light at some stage in 2025. While it will be a long-overdue decision, the reality is that the state stands to gain a considerable amount from it, and determining how to allocate this new income stream isn’t straightforward. However, with a focus on education, both sides of the aisle seem ready to strike a historic agreement.