HB 686: Georgia Sports Betting Act; enact

Georgia currently prohibits sports betting. This bill, the Georgia Sports Betting Act, would let the Georgia Lottery Corporation license and regulate online sports betting statewide through mobile apps. It creates a licensing system with up to 16 Type 1 licenses reserved mostly for Georgia professional sports teams and certain golf and auto racing venues, plus licenses for online betting platforms and equipment suppliers. The bill sets a 27.5 percent tax on operators' adjusted gross income from betting, sending proceeds to a new Georgia Sports Betting Proceeds Trust Fund that funds the same purposes as lottery money (mainly education programs). It bars minors and certain insiders like athletes, coaches, and team owners from betting, requires age and identity verification, sets penalties for illegal betting, and requires responsible-gambling safeguards. It also exempts sports betting wagers from being treated as illegal gambling and from sales tax. The law would take effect January 1, 2027, but only if Georgia voters ratify a constitutional amendment authorizing sports betting; otherwise it is automatically repealed.

• Authorizes the Georgia Lottery Corporation to license, regulate, and oversee online sports betting statewide through mobile apps, issuing up to 16 Type 1 licenses.
• Imposes a 27.5 percent privilege tax on operators' adjusted gross income from betting, with proceeds going to a new state trust fund used like lottery proceeds.
• Sets licensing fees ranging from $2,000 to $100,000 in application fees and up to $1 million in annual fees depending on license type.
• Bans minors, athletes, coaches, team owners, and other insiders from placing certain wagers, and sets escalating criminal fines and jail time for violations.
• Requires licensees to verify bettor age and identity, offer self-exclusion tools, and post problem-gambling helpline information.
• Makes the entire Act contingent on Georgia voters approving a constitutional amendment allowing sports betting, with automatic repeal if the amendment fails.

Georgia's professional sports teams and certain golf and racing venues, companies that want to operate online sportsbooks or supply betting technology, the Georgia Lottery Corporation, bettors aged 21 and older, athletes and sports league employees who would be barred from betting, and problem-gambling support organizations.

If voters approve the required constitutional amendment, Georgians could legally place sports bets online through licensed apps for the first time, generating new tax revenue for education-related programs while creating new criminal penalties for underage or unlicensed betting and new consumer protections for bettors.

• Section 2-1 adds Article 4 to Title 50, creating the Georgia Sports Betting Act and defining sports betting terms like 'bettor,' 'wager,' and 'official league data' (new Code Sections 50-27-120 to 50-27-197).
• O.C.G.A. § 50-27-133 caps Type 1 licenses at 16, reserving five for Georgia professional sports teams and one each for specific golf, racing, and lottery entities, with seven awarded through public procurement.
• O.C.G.A. § 50-27-130 sets application and annual licensing fees: $100,000/$1 million for Type 1 licensees, $10,000/$100,000 for online service providers, and $2,000/$20,000 for equipment suppliers.
• O.C.G.A. § 50-27-150 imposes a 27.5 percent privilege tax on adjusted gross income from betting, deposited into the new Georgia Sports Betting Proceeds Trust Fund.
• O.C.G.A. § 50-27-162 bars specified insiders, including athletes, coaches, and team officials, from betting, with fines up to $7,500 and jail time for repeat violations.
• O.C.G.A. § 50-27-135 prohibits any proposition bets on collegiate sporting events.
• Section 3-1 amends O.C.G.A. § 16-12-20 so that money paid for sports betting is not counted as illegal gambling under state law.
• Section 5-1 makes the entire Act effective January 1, 2027, contingent on voter ratification of a constitutional amendment, with automatic repeal if the amendment fails.

1. 2026-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2025-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2025-03-04House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2025-03-03House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
6. 2025-02-28House Hopper (Cámara de Representantes)

• Marcus Wiedower (R, HD-121)Patrocinador principal
• Charles Martin (R, HD-049)
• Matt Dubnik (R, HD-029)
• Noel Williams (R, HD-148)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)

• sports betting
• gambling regulation
• Georgia Lottery Corporation
• state tax revenue
• constitutional amendment