Georgia Sports Betting Measure Derailed as NCLGS Official and HR 450 Co-sponsor Votes No

The lights for legalized sports betting in Georgia anytime soon went out just before midnight Friday, as the state House of Representatives defeated a resolution that would have allowed voters to decide the issue in November.

Legalized sports betting in the Peach State was far from certain, even if the House passed House Resolution 450 with the requisite two-thirds approval from lawmakers as required for constitutional amendments. It still would have required passage, also two-thirds, in the Senate before ultimately going before the voters in November.

Partisan politics apparently derailed the chances for Georgia sports betting this year. At least that’s according to state Rep. Al Williams, D-Midway, who voted against the measure.

That’s the same Al Williams who is president-elect of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States and a co-sponsor of HR 450, which died at 11:57 pm ET on Friday with 98 House members voting against versus just 63 yes votes. While Williams blamed being shut out from discussions on the measure, proponents told Gambling Insider the lawmaker wanted casino legalization included.

Friday was crossover day in the Georgia General Assembly. That’s the deadline for each chamber to pass its own measures in order for the other to consider them.

Georgia Sports Betting Proponents Stunned

According to sports betting proponents, Williams’ turn against HR 450 came as a surprise. They told Gambling Insider over the weekend that the measure included dedicated pre-kindergarten funding because Democrats wanted that.

They allege Williams backed out because the measure did not include casino gaming. While some Georgia lawmakers on both sides of the aisle support bringing casino resorts to the state, that proposal is not nearly as in demand as sports betting.

Williams did not immediately return a message on Monday seeking comment.

While sports betting remains illegal in Georgia, prediction markets are accessible in the state. As a result, FanDuel and DraftKings set up their PM platforms for sports betting in the state, the third most populous in the country without legalized sports betting.

Williams Upset About Apparent Snub

In Friday’s late hour, Williams rose to speak against the measure with his name on it and delivered a nine-minute stemwinder.

“I must admit that’s one of the longest walks I’ve made since I’ve been in this legislature,” began Williams, 78, first elected to the Georgia House in 2002.

Williams said he opposed the bill because of the one-sided nature in crafting it. He alleged Democrats did not have a say in where the tax money from sports betting would go. While this year’s session began in January, Williams said he was not included in any talks about HR 450 – which was filed last year – until the very last minute.

This is in need of bipartisan support, and to get bipartisan support, you need to let the folks on this side of the aisle have some say on how the money is going to be divided,” he said. “The last time I was handed a plate of food and told to eat this. I was quite young and didn’t have any choice. Since then, I get to decide what I eat that’s on the plate.”

For the last few years, most proposals to expand gambling in Georgia have called for the tax money to go toward educational endeavors, notably the Georgia HOPE Scholarship and funding pre-K.

Williams said that eligibility changes for the HOPE Scholarship created the need to find additional funding for that program. HOPE Scholarships started after Georgia voters passed the state lottery constitutional amendment in November 1992, as a needs-based program. Over the years, lawmakers expanded it from covering two years of tuition to four years, eliminated a $100,000 family income cap, and allowed students going to private colleges to receive funding.

Williams did acknowledge the work of state Rep. Matt Reeves in leading HR 450. The Duluth Republican carried the measure after former state Rep. Marcus Wiedower, its initial primary sponsor, stepped down last fall.

It’s not that I’m against sports betting,” he added. “I’m against the way this was handled. The conversation really started Monday, heated up by Wednesday, and got red hot tonight. We went from zero to 100 degrees, and I didn’t have a chance to take my winter clothes off.”

No Sports Betting Vote Now Until 2028

In the end, Republican House members voted 49-49. Democrats, though, provided only 14 yes votes and 49 nos.

If Williams endorsed the bill, supporters believe most of the Democratic caucus would have voted yes on HR 450 and helped get the measure approved. Once they realized what was happening, they told nearly a dozen of Republican supporters they could vote against the measure to protect them from primary challenges.

Constitutional amendments can appear on Georgia ballots every even year. That means a new sports betting bill cannot go before voters until Nov. 2028, and that would keep sportsbooks from operating in the state until 2029 at the earliest.

There has been some debate about the need for a constitutional amendment for Georgia sports betting since voters approved the lottery more than 30 years ago. However, several lawmakers have made a ballot question a contingency for their support.