Georgia Tourism Committee Advocates Sports Betting

Although mobile sports betting was not publicly discussed in its recommendations, the Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism included sports betting as a late addition to its guidance policy.

Betting on Tourism

Georgia wants to attract more tourism and commissioned a study of lawmakers to create a punch list of ideas that can be implemented to bring all those vacationers’ dollars to the Peach State.

There were several recommendations to boost tourism across the state, including extensive marketing efforts that focus not only on Atlanta but also on other areas less frequently visited, such as Lanier Islands.

But a late recommendation was added to the final report that few saw coming: the suggestion that part of the revenue from mobile sports betting could be used to increase the state’s tourism budget and attract major events, much as North Carolina has done.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will make a stop at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta during June and July, but that is a quadrennial event that rarely finds the USA as one of the host countries. Georgia’s tourism must be predicated on something more routine, and landing large events by making the Peach State more attractive to venue seekers is paramount.

It has been reported that 174 million visitors to Georgia generated approximately $45.2 billion in spending last year. Therefore, boosting the numbers in an industry that is already flourishing has been the mandate of the Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism.

Moreover, allowing tourists to make a wager on sporting events through their mobile devices will also increase Georgia’s appeal as a gambling-friendly destination. There has been discussion that those who enjoy sports betting may discount visiting Georgia because of its current prohibition on mobile sports wagering.

The Great Debate

Georgia sits in the heart of the Bible Belt. And although much of the stigma surrounding sports betting has been eliminated, there still remains a powerful conservative and religious voting bloc in the Deep South.

Politics and religion are most definitely intertwined in heavily southern rural areas, and politicians pay attention to those important demographics.

Yet, progress marches on, and social mores change.

A push not only for mobile sports betting in Georgia but also for casino gambling has been on the docket for quite some time. As Ed Clark, president of EchoPark Speedway, previously known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, succinctly put it, “I don’t think the legislature should be legislating morality. I think the citizens of Georgia need to decide.”

Tourism would not be the only sector that would benefit from the new revenue stream that would spring from the gaming sector, but also education. Much of that revenue from sports betting or casinos could be earmarked for educational resources in the state.

Representative Marcus Wiedower, who recently stepped down from office and dealt a blow to those who have advocated for Georgia sports betting, said recently, “I believe strongly—and Georgians by wide margins agree with me—that this change will not only bring in much-needed revenue to educate our youngest learners but also provide consumer protections that don’t exist in today’s black market.”