Georgia resident sentiment for sports betting legislation continues to rise as politicians continue to punt on the issue.
A new poll released recently by the University of Georgia and Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce found that 63% of voters want legal Georgia sports betting. The poll comes as the legislature began its session Monday.
Sports betting has failed in the Peach State because of political division over how to legalize the issue. Multiple lawmakers talked about legalization prior to the session starting, while Gov. Brian Kemp reiterated his neutral stance with a caveat that he sees positives with legalization.
Georgia sports betting poll details
According to the poll, 63% of all voters want legalized sports betting, with 72.9% of males in favor of legalization. Women clocked in at 54.2%. Just under 24% of respondents oppose legalization.
The 30-44 age bracket weighed in, with 75.4% wanting legalization, followed by the 45-64 age group at 62.9%.
Approximately 65% of both Republicans and Democrats support legalization. Last year, a Senate bill was backed by members of both parties.
Other details
More than 54% of voters would be more likely to support legalization if it meant fewer Georgians crossed state lines or used offshore sportsbooks to wager.
Nearly 80% of Georgians are more likely to support sports betting if all revenue goes to educational programs.
Approximately 78% of voters would prefer to decide on legalization at the polls rather than leave it in the legislature’s hands. Some lawmakers believe gambling expansion does require a constitutional amendment, which would require a public referendum.
Poll methodology
The poll of 800 registered Georgia voters was conducted by live interview telephone surveys between Dec. 14 and 19, 2024. Approximately 90% of the interviews were with cellphone numbers, while the remaining 10% were landlines.
Survey results were weighted to represent the voting population demographics. There is a 3.5% margin of error at a 95% confidence rate, according to the survey.
Georgia sports betting effort
Georgia lawmakers have rolled out sports betting legislation for multiple years in a row. However, a split between legislators on how it should be legalized has stymied the efforts.
Some lawmakers believe sports betting can be legalized as an extension of the Georgia Lottery. Others believe it requires a constitutional amendment, which requires a two-thirds majority in the legislature and a public referendum.
While politicians remain at odds, Georgia voters continue to try to access legal sportsbooks.