SR 131: Sports Betting and Casino Gambling Activities; operation and regulation; authorize the Georgia General Assembly - CA

Georgia's Constitution currently bans nearly all lotteries, betting, and casino gambling except 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 requires the legislature to create a gaming commission to regulate and tax these activities, and to issue at least eight casino gaming licenses, with each license limited to one casino facility per owner and no off-site casino gambling allowed. Gambling activities would be taxed at 20 percent of gross income after certain deductions, with proceeds flowing into a new 'Georgia Gaming Proceeds Fund.' The first $2 billion from that fund would be split evenly among all Georgia counties, and additional rules dedicate future money to counties and gambling-addiction programs. Voters would ultimately decide whether to ratify the amendment.

• Proposes a constitutional amendment letting the General Assembly legalize and regulate sports betting and casino gambling in Georgia, both currently banned.
• Requires the legislature to create a gaming commission to regulate and tax these gambling activities.
• Mandates issuance of at least eight casino gaming licenses, limits each owner to one license, and bans off-site casino gambling.
• Sets a 20 percent tax rate on gross gambling income after operating expenses, winnings, and reserves are subtracted.
• Creates a 'Georgia Gaming Proceeds Fund' and directs the first $2 billion, then further set amounts, to be split evenly among county governments.
• Requires at least 5 percent of additional proceeds beyond county payments to fund gambling addiction prevention and treatment programs.

Georgia voters, who would decide the amendment; the General Assembly and a new gaming commission, which would write and enforce gambling rules; casino and sports betting operators seeking licenses; county governments, which would receive gambling tax revenue; and people affected by gambling addiction, who would be served by new prevention programs.

If ratified, this would end Georgia's broad constitutional ban on betting and casino gambling, opening the door to a regulated industry with tax revenue funneled to every county and to addiction services, while limiting the market to a small number of licensed casinos statewide.

• Section 1 revises Article I, Section II, Paragraph VIII to remove the prohibition on sports betting and casino gambling and allow the General Assembly to authorize and regulate them.
• Requires creation of a gaming commission with power to regulate and tax sports betting and casino gambling activities.
• Limits casino gambling to licensed, physical casino facilities and requires at least eight licenses statewide, with a one-license-per-owner cap.
• Sets a 20 percent tax on gross gambling income (after expenses, winnings, and reserves) paid into the Georgia Gaming Proceeds Fund.
• Directs the first $2 billion in fund proceeds to be split evenly among county governing authorities, then further amounts up to $5 billion total, with at least 5 percent of remaining proceeds for gambling addiction programs.
• Exempts these gambling proceeds from standard state budget rules on fund allocation, general fund deposits, and lapsing of unspent funds.
• Section 2 sets the ballot language asking voters to approve or reject the constitutional amendment.

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