Georgia Democrat gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams is once more making an attempt to leverage the problem of sports activities betting as a part of her bid to unseat incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
Trying to capitalize on the beginning of the 2022 faculty soccer season and the immense recognition of the defending nationwide champion Georgia Bulldogs within the state, Abrams unveiled a brand new on-line marketing campaign advert, taking Kemp to process for opposing regulated sports activities betting.
Whereas Georgians nonetheless place bets, Kemp is forcing them out of state to do it, taking the tax {dollars} with them,” in accordance with the spot.
Of their 2018 matchup that Kemp narrowly gained, he opposed sports activities betting, however his place now could be that he has no place, in accordance with a spokesman. It’s not unusual for incumbent governors to take that stance. For instance, California is within the midst of a contentious industrial/tribal sports activities betting poll battle and Gov. Gavin Newsom — a Democrat whose politics are polar opposites of Kemp’s — is staying out of the battle.
Truth Checking Abrams
Abrams’ declare that Georgians are leaving the state to put sports activities bets might have some advantage. For the reason that 2018 Supreme Courtroom ruling on the Skilled and Novice Sports activities Safety Act (PASPA), politicians claiming residents of their state are going to a different to make sports activities wager is a incessantly deployed tactic and that has some credibility.
Nonetheless, of three states bordering Georgia, solely Tennessee presents cell sports activities betting. The Volunteer State’s border is a prolonged drive from Fulton County — Georgia’s most populous county. It’s a 250-mile drive to Nashville from Atlanta.
Level is a few Georgians most likely are driving to Tennessee to put sports activities bets, however the extent to which that’s taking place most likely isn’t akin to the New York-to-New Jersey journeys that had been so widespread previous to the previous legalizing cell betting.
Paid for by One Georgia Inc., the advert says Abrams, if elected, will work to legalize sports activities betting “to put money into schooling for our younger individuals.”
In Georgia, lottery spending funds the HOPE faculty scholarship program. However as Georgia has added inhabitants, HOPE is just funding 70% of recipients’ college prices. That shortfall has prompted some politicians to pitch casinos and sports activities betting as avenues for filling the void.
Georgia Gaming Historical past Is Tough
Past the lottery, the state has lengthy been in opposition to different regulated types of gaming, together with industrial and tribal casinos and sports activities betting. The 2022 legislative session of the state’s Common Meeting concluded in April with no concrete motion on casinos and sports activities wagering.
In Georgia, sports activities betting failed to realize traction in current legislative classes regardless of assist from Atlanta professional sports activities groups, together with the NFL’s Falcons and the NBA’s Hawks.
Sen. Jeff Mullis — a Republican that beforehand proposed Georgia sports activities betting laws — estimated bettors within the state might generate an annual deal with of $4.8 billion, resulting in tax income of about $360 million.