State Representative Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain) is co-sponsoring legislation (House Bill 86) that would legalize mobile sports betting in Georgia.
The proposed "Georgia Lottery Mobile Sports Wagering Integrity Act" would have the state's Lottery Corporation oversee the gambling and issue at least six betting licenses. Each licensee would each have to pay a $50,000 application fee and an annual licensing fee of $900,000.
"Net proceeds of lottery games conducted pursuant to this article shall be used to support improvements and enhancements for educational purposes and programs and that such net proceeds shall be used to supplement, not supplant, existing resources for such educational purposes and programs," the bill states.
The measure is considered legislation, not a constitutional amendment, so there would be no ballot referendum on whether sports gambling should become legal.
In late 2019, Mitchell said expanded gambling is "coming sooner rather than later to Georgia." "I must say that if everyone gambled like I did, they all would be out of business, even the lottery," he told the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
