SR131: SR131 Sports Betting and Casino Gambling Activities; operation and regulation; authorize the Georgia General Assembly - CA

Georgia's constitution currently bans lotteries, sports betting, pari-mutuel betting, and casino gambling except for narrow exceptions like the state lottery and nonprofit bingo. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would let the General Assembly pass laws authorizing and regulating sports betting and casino gambling statewide. The amendment would require creation of a gaming commission to regulate and tax these activities, require at least eight casino licenses (one casino per license holder, no off-site casino gambling), and set a 20 percent tax rate on gross gambling income after allowed deductions. Tax proceeds would go into a new 'Georgia Gaming Proceeds Fund,' with the first $2 billion split evenly among county governments, then further county shares and at least 5 percent for gambling addiction programs. Because this is a constitutional amendment, it must be approved by voters in a statewide referendum before taking effect.

• Proposes a constitutional amendment letting the General Assembly legalize and regulate sports betting and casino gambling in Georgia, which are currently banned.
• Requires the General Assembly to create a gaming commission with power to regulate and tax sports betting and casino gambling.
• Requires at least eight casino gaming licenses to be issued, limits each licensee to one casino, and bans off-site casino gambling.
• Sets a 20 percent tax rate on gross gambling income (after allowed operating expenses, winnings paid out, and reserves) and creates the Georgia Gaming Proceeds Fund.
• Directs the first $2 billion in fund proceeds to be split evenly among Georgia's county governments, with further county allocations and at least 5 percent set aside for gambling addiction prevention and treatment programs.
• Requires the proposed amendment to be submitted to Georgia voters for ratification or rejection in a statewide referendum.

Georgia voters, who would decide the amendment's fate; county governments, which would receive dedicated gambling tax revenue; any individuals or companies seeking casino or sports betting licenses; and people affected by gambling addiction, who could receive funded treatment programs.

If ratified by voters, this would end Georgia's constitutional ban on sports betting and casino gambling, opening the door to a regulated industry, new casinos, and a dedicated funding stream for county governments and addiction services, changing what forms of gambling are legally available statewide.

• Section 1 revises Article I, Section II, Paragraph VIII of the Constitution to keep the general gambling ban but carve out an exception allowing the General Assembly to authorize sports betting and casino gambling.
• New subparagraph (e)(1)-(2) requires the General Assembly to create a gaming commission to regulate and tax these activities.
• Subparagraph (e)(3) requires at least eight casino gaming licenses, bans off-site casino gambling, and limits each person or entity to one license and one casino interest.
• Subparagraph (e)(4) sets a 20 percent tax rate on gross gambling income minus allowed expenses, winnings, and reserves, dedicated to the new Georgia Gaming Proceeds Fund.
• Subparagraph (e)(5) allocates the first $2 billion of fund proceeds evenly to county governments, then requires at least $500 million per year to counties until $5 billion total is reached, and at least 5 percent of remaining funds for gambling addiction programs.
• Subparagraph (e)(6) exempts these appropriated gaming proceeds from the constitution's normal rule that unspent state funds lapse at the end of the fiscal year.
• Section 2 requires the proposed amendment to be put to Georgia voters as a yes-or-no ballot question.

1. 2025-02-05Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-02-04Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)Primary sponsor
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)

• sports betting
• casino gambling
• constitutional amendment
• gambling regulation
• county funding