On Tuesday, Georgia voters will go to ballot boxes across the state to weigh who they think their next governor should be. Both candidates are on opposite sides on most issues, including the issue of legal sports betting in Georgia.
There is no domestic sportsbook in GA at the moment, but that could change depending on which candidate you vote for next week.
Republican incumbent Brian Kemp has no intention of pushing a legal sports betting agenda in GA and believes the state’s economic situation does not require casinos or other gambling establishments.
Abrams highlights other surrounding legal sports betting states and their ability to siphon money from Georgians visiting and placing bets at their home sportsbooks.
States like Tennessee, North Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana already have domestic sports betting options where the revenue from these gambling activities has a significant impact on state tax revenues.
These sports betting opportunities are not limited to locals, so tourists and visitors are free to bet on pro and college games as long as they meet the minimum age.
Georgia residents already participate in sports betting, either through offshore sports betting or by visiting a domestic venue in another state. Those dollars spent elsewhere represent monies that could be raised in GA and used for state projects, and that’s exactly what Stacey Abrams is proposing if she becomes the next governor.
“[Sports betting] will serve as a permanent source of income to ensure wider access to education. We can afford it and we must do it. Studies predicted the potential for billions in economic funds that will not only fund our efforts to replenish and expand the Hope Scholarship, but will also provide new economic opportunities for Georgia that can create jobs and strengthen our economy for all.”
Excerpt from Stacey Abrams speech
Abrams and Kemp’s 2018 gubernatorial race came to an end, with just 54,723 votes separating the two.
2018 GA gubernatorial election results
- Brian Kemp (R): 1,978,408 votes – 50.2%
- Stacey Abrams (D): 1,923,685 votes – 48.8%
- Ted Metz (L): 37,235 votes – 0.9%
While Abrams fell short in 2018, she remains an influential Georgia political figure, and her endorsement of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in 2021 helped flip the state from red to blue.
Political online sportsbooks have set up betting odds for the 2022 gubernatorial election in Georgia and Brian Kemp looks poised for a sure win.
2022 Georgia governorate odds
- Brian Kemp (R)-2500
- Stacey Abrams (D) +800
Brian Kemp is so heavily favored by the odds that it takes a $25 wager to win just a dollar of net winnings. Abrams +800 Moneyline will award players with 8-to-1 wins if she pulls the surprise next week.
These odds are converted into a 96% chance that Governor Kemp will win another term. Political prediction site PredictIt also predicts a similar outcome, with Kemp having a 94% chance of winning.
No matter what side of the political spectrum your beliefs fall on, if you are in Georgia for local sports betting, Abrams is the only choice.
Source – Georgia Public Broadcasting, BetOnline, The Atlanta Voice, PredictIt