Georgia Fails to Approve Sports Betting For 2023

• Georgia sports betting hopes for 2023 have run out of time, as the Georgia Senate failed to vote on a substitute of GA HB 237 that would regulate sports betting.

ATLANTA – Georgia sports betting hopes have died in 2023 after a resurrection attempt fell short. Members of a Georgia Senate committee approved a revision to House Bill 237 that added sports betting language to a soap box derby bill.

The attempt to give sports betting another chance after its failure during crossover day is a rare feat. In Georgia, crossover day determines if a bill survives or dies because it must receive approval by either the House, or the Senate in order to be considered later in the session.

The main Georgia sports betting bills all failed to receive approval by either chamber on crossover day. Both and GA SB 57 and GA HB 380 would’ve each legalized sports betting without a constitutional amendment.

With the failures of bills from both chambers, it appeared that all hope was lost for 2023. That was until the introduction of a revised soap box derby bill was approved in the Georgia Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism.

A Soap Box Derby Bill?

Yes, a soap box derby bill. House Bill 237 originally regarded the designation of the state’s soap box derby but was hijacked with sports betting language.

The substitution gave hopeful sports bettors another shot in 2023. GA HB 237 would’ve allowed the Georgia Lottery Corporation to regulate sports betting with a 22% tax rate.

Unfortunately, the last-chance effort failed to receive a vote in the Georgia Senate on its final day of the 2023 legislative session. Legal sports betting in the Peach State will have to wait another year.

News tags: GA HB 237 | GA HB 380 | GA SB 57 | Georgia