The Georgia General Assembly, once again, failed to sanction sports betting legislation during its 2023 legislative session. Now, all eyes turn to 2024.
Some peculiar maneuvering occurred last session. There were two bills intended to prevent a constitutional amendment, and a last-second dragnet clause attached to a soapbox derby bill made its way into sports betting legislation. However, all efforts failed, so now it’s up to the 2024 General Assembly.
Could 2024 be the year that horse racing is legalized in the state of Georgia?
A heavy legal climb with respect to horse auto racing in Atlanta
Horse racing is legal in Georgia. However, betting on horse racing in Georgia is not legal. While there are a few horse races held each year in Georgia, there is no track betting nor off-track betting. The logic behind this is hard to comprehend.
Although there’s a tangible appetite for legal gambling in the state legislature, lawmakers are less inclined to consider horse racing. Senator Bill Hickman’s failed SB 57 was one of the proposed measures that would have bypassed supermajority requirements in the House and Senate, as well as a voter-backed initiative to amend the Georgia Constitution. Falling 37-19 in the Senate, the bill did not reach the simple majority required to move the legislation to the other chamber.
One of the main reasons for the failure was the inclusion of horse racing language. While Hickman argues that he included the horse racing language because it would boost the Georgia agricultural industry, societal sentiments have shifted recently regarding betting on horses. One reason for the souring view of the sport is the safety of the horses themselves. The recent suspension of racing at Churchill Downs in the wake of 12 horse deaths at the Kentucky Derby will only further crystallize that view.
If Georgia wants to join Tennessee as a sports gambling state in the South, legislators would be wise not to link horse racing with sports betting.
Tn could be a type for Atlanta betting about horse auto racing
It will take an extremely clever legal draft for horse racing in Georgia to be legalized during the 2024 General Assembly. For a practical path forward, legislators should take a course similar to their northern neighbors, Tennessee.
The Volunteer State does not have any retail sportsbooks, but it has legalized online sports betting and has generated a significant amount of tax revenue. Online bets can be made on horse races, although there are no horse tracks or off-track betting in the state.
Such an approach would likely be far more palatable for a Legislature that has historically been adverse to gambling in general.
Attrape-nigaud the constitutional end-run
One thing is clear for the future: If Georgia hopes to legalize sports betting or horse racing, it will need to work through supermajorities and a public vote. Both of the bills designed to circumvent the requirement to revise the Constitution fell flat, indicating that lawmakers value tradition over legislative trickery.
However, this shouldn’t be bad news for Georgians eager to place legal wagers. It means that gambling could be pursued by legislators, signed by the governor, and voted on by the public in the same calendar year.
It appears that Georgians can start placing legal bets on horses at the beginning of 2025.
Carter Breazeale is a freelance journalist with a focus on sports, business, and the business of sports. An Atlanta native currently residing in Orlando, Carter graduated from the University of Central Florida. Since 2018, he has covered the Atlanta Falcons for SBNation’s website, The Falcoholic.
