- A Georgia committee recommended legalizing mobile sports betting to boost tourism in the Peach State.
- The study committee cited that North Carolina uses 30% of their legal sports betting revenue to attract major events to the state.
ATLANTA – Mobile sports betting legalization is being discussed in Georgia senate committees. A recommendation was made in the latest meeting for the Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism.
While legal sports betting has been discussed in Georgia for years, a committee studying tourism in Georgia officially proposed the idea in their latest meeting.
One of the key recommendations listed in the committee report simply states “The State of Georgia should legalize mobile sports betting.”
North Carolina Sports Betting Revenue Catches GA Attention
A collection of big hitters informed the committee of North Carolina sportsbook apps contributing towards tourism in the neighboring state. Those speakers included notable names like Atlanta Hawks CCO Andrew Saltzman, Atlanta Braves representative Jennifer Mastin Giglio, Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment President Tim Zulawski, and Nick Fernandez of the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
Fernandez was especially vocal about North Carolina’s impact on the prospect of legal Georgia sports betting, noting that 30% of North Carolina’s sports betting revenue contributes to the state’s funding for major events. The report noted these statistics, stating that “North Carolina dedicates a significant of its sports betting revenue to fund these ventures” in their official report.
According to the report, Georgia tourism is already thriving with an $82 billion total economic impact and $5.1 billion in state & local tax revenues. Senate committee studies make it clear that joining other US sports betting states would only boost the already thriving Georgia tourism.
