Constitutional amendment could smooth legal betting in GA
Georgia’s deputy legislative counsel, D. Stuart Morelli stated that an amendment to legalise sports betting in the state may not be required, but is preferable due to the ambiguity of the current situation.
The statement came as part of Morelli’s advice to Senate Study Committee on Gaming and Pari-mutual Wagering on Horse Racing and Growing Georgia’s Equine Industry, which was established in April to study opportunities to regulate betting, gaming and horse racing in the state. The committee held a hearing Tuesday (8 October) to further examine the issue.
“Owing to the wording of the Georgia Constitution, reasonable arguments could be made on both sides of the question, and the ultimate success of an attempt to legalize sports betting without a constitutional amendment will come down to the roll of a dice,” Morelli said.
Article I, Section II, Paragraph VIII of the constitution of Georgia explicitly prohibits certain forms of gambling, including pari-mutuel betting, casinos and lotteries other than the Georgia state lottery.