2026 might not be the year for Georgia sports betting
While talks are ongoing, nothing seems imminent for legalizing sports betting in Georgia
Sports fans in Georgia might have to wait a while longer to celebrate, at least when it comes to sports betting. Missouri is the latest state to legalize sports betting, launching on Dec. 1, to become the 39th state (plus Washington D.C.) to offer some form of legalized wagering on sports. North Carolina went live last year, while Texas, California and Nebraska are among the states having discussions on legalization. Georgia also appeared to be leaning in that direction, but it could now be a long haul for the state's 11.2 million residents after both chambers of the state legislature failed to move discussions forward.
A state Senate committee on tourism recently made mention of sports betting as a potential way to boost Georgia as a vacation destination, but there have been no serious discussions in that chamber to date. The real push to legalize sports betting in Georgia seemed to be in the House, but the momentum there has stalled.
The House Study Committee on Gaming in Georgia recently released its report following four meetings and 12 hours of testimony and made no recommendation on the future of sports betting in the state. The effort appeared to have hit a major snag in October, when one of sports wagering's top proponents, Rep. Marcus Wiedower, resigned from the state legislature. Wiedower chaired the gaming study committee and has backed sports betting proposals in the past.
Wiedower introduced two proposals in 2025 that would have made sports betting legal in Georgia, including a resolution that would have put the issue on a statewide ballot in 2026. His House bill called for online-only betting overseen by the Georgia Lottery with a 24% tax rate. Neither measure made it to a House vote, and Wiedower's departure was a major blow to the state's sports wagering hopes.
Lawmakers will need to find new leadership and bipartisan backing for the issue, and the timeline for sportsbooks to potentially launch in Georgia would be lengthy. A proposal put forward requiring a constitutional amendment would mean a public vote, and the current mood makes getting it on the November 2026 ballot unlikely. If an amendment were to pass, sportsbooks would likely launch sometime the following year.
Previous betting legislation in Georgia proposed six casinos in the state, and lawmakers have submitted sports betting for consideration every year since 2018. The House gaming committee continued to explore those possibilities. It also looked at how to implement safeguards for sports betting and what the revenue from sports betting will be used for, which would be crucial to swaying any critics.
With the Falcons (NFL), Braves (MLB), Hawks (NBA), Dream (WNBA) and United (MLS), as well as The Masters, Georgia is a sports-mad state. It also regularly hosts major events like the Super Bowl and NCAA Tournament and is a host city for the 2026 World Cup. A University of Georgia poll on sports betting found that 63% of voters were in favor of it being legalized in the state. But Georgia is also in the Bible Belt, so there is no shortage of opposition to legalizing sports betting in the state.
Georgia has strict anti-gambling laws and does not permit pari-mutuel wagering or any type of casino or sport betting. The state allows daily fantasy platforms to offer some products, but the Georgia Lottery and charitable or amusement gaming are the only other forms allowed. But with sports bettors using offshore sites and nearby states legalizing it, that could change. It just doesn't appear that it will be in 2026.
