The owners of Atlanta’s four major professional sports leagues are continuing to push for online sports betting in Georgia, stating that legalisation is inevitable. However, president and CEO of the Atlanta Hawks, Steve Koonin, stated that he has no specific ideas regarding the legislation.
Derek Schiller who is the CEO of the Atlanta Braves along with senior executives from the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United have gone on record to throw their support behind legalised online betting in the state.
The executives from these top four major teams argued that illegal sports betting already takes place in Georgia. By legalizing it, the state will be able to regulate the industry and impose taxes.
The sports teams noted that online betting is essential for their success because it creates engagement from fans, something that is decreasing as traditional sports broadcasts become less popular with every passing month.
Leaders of Atlanta’s major sports teams have called for legislation that allows all bets on professional sports—they also specified that the bill must include a provision that states customers must deposit money into a betting account, to prevent them from gambling with money they do not have.
Koonin estimates the value of illegal sports bets in Georgia on the NFL alone to be at $1.5 billion. He wants state legislators to act quickly and not miss out on any more of this revenue. Time is running out for online betting advocates; if the bill is to be passed this year, it will have to be introduced before March 12 to be considered in the General Assembly.
The legalization of online sports betting in Georgia is not without its opponents. Foremost among the critics’ concerns is that online betting will aggravate social problems and increase problem gambling more easily due to the availability of online betting.
According to Georgia lobbyist and regional director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Virginia Galloway, traditional sportsbooks have the barrier of customers having to be physically present; online betting allows anyone to bet on their phone, wherever they may be. Galloway compared online betting to having a casino in your pocket which is available to take bets 24/7.
Critics like Galloway are fighting to prevent online betting in Georgia because they believe the benefits sports betting bring to the state will be offset by the massive social costs that will have to be shouldered by the community. Bills that legalize casino games or horse racing in Georgia have historically received scant support from state legislators.
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