Illegal SEC Betting Continues to Be An Issue for Georgia

Peter Lewisby Peter Lewis
Updated: November 17, 2023
Illegal SEC Betting Continues to Be An Issue for Georgia

With nothing positive happening for the Georgia sports betting push in 2023, people have been furious ever since. The hope was that 2023 would be the year where things would get done, but here we are again for yet another football campaign where people aren’t able to visit in-person sportsbooks or get their money in on their favorite teams via a mobile option. Well, because of that, Illegal SEC betting continues to be an issue for Georgia.

This really shouldn’t come as a big surprise, as the state is known for some of the best college football out there. The Georgia Bulldogs have won the National Championship in back-to-back years and they have the best NCAAF betting odds to get the job done once again this winter. Georgia is the No. 1 team in the country and Kirby Smart’s men continue to impress whenever they take the field.

With how great the Bulldogs have looked once again, it’s of course leading to a ton of illegal activity this fall. It’s not just bets on UGA, though, as people are showing a lot of interest in Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Missouri and others. With so much movement for the conference starting next season too, it’s only adding to the intrigue for betting on games this season as well. This is something Georgia officials are all too familiar with.

This fall alone, we’ve seen a high amount of illegal activity and this is coming after all the issues the state had during the summer. MLB betting was a problem in Georgia, as people were rushing to get their bets in on the Atlanta Braves. The hope is that betting can be legalized at some point next year, so that all the unregulated activity will come to an end. Everything is up in the air, though.

Could Georgia sports betting arrive in 2024?

Could Georgia sports betting arrive in 2024? That’s the question that so many people have been asking themselves in recent months. A lot of proponents for the sports betting project are ready for Jan. 9, as that’s the next session for officials to meet to discuss things. There’s plenty of optimism that sports betting will pick up some steam, as this is something that officials have been eyeing for a while.

In the past 3-4 years, though, all of the efforts to try and get things done have failed. Governor candidate Stacey Abrams was trying to use sports betting as a key reason to get the votes in her favor, as she made it quite clear that she wanted to make things a priority. Abrams argued that legal sports betting would be beneficial for the state, as the revenue would benefit needed resources, while it would also create countless jobs. It would no question provide an economic boost.

However, Abrams lost out to Brian Kemp in that race. Now, the pressure is on Kemp to try and get things done during his term, but it doesn’t look like he’s in any kind of a rush here. Kemp, a Republican, has said that he’s open to sports betting being made legal, but the problem is that there are a lot of fellow Republicans who aren’t on the same page and don’t want to see things moved forward. From our chair, we think they’re a bit wrong with their way of thinking.

This could be a major issue moving forward. Democrats, for the most part, seem to be pretty open to the idea, with several politicians voicing their support for things. However, the fact that some Republicans are trying to block things could prove to be a massive issue. It will be on Kemp to try and get things to progress, but a lot of sports fans are worried that his lack of urgency could delay things beyond 2024. That’d be a nightmare for Georgia if it ends up happening – let’s hope that it doesn’t.

Polls continue to show that people in Georgia would approve legal sports betting

What could help Democrats in their push to get things across the line is that polls continue to show that people in Georgia would approve legal sports betting if it makes its way to the ballot. In the past year alone, multiple polls have been released where more than 1,000 people have been asked if they’d vote sports betting in, and they’ve topped a 60 percent approval rate, which is great. This alone shows that a large chunk of people want to see this happen.

In Georgia, people love college football, but NFL betting would also be great thanks to the young talent of the Atlanta Falcons. Bijan Robinson was a first-round pick in 2023 and his future is bright for the NFC South side. While the quarterback situation needs to be figured out, illegal activity on the Falcons has also been an issue. Legal betting would clean that up in the future as well. The folks in Georgia know the benefits that legal sports betting would bring. Now, it’s time to get things done.

Peter Lewis

Peter Lewis Jr. comes from Mississippi where he and his family spend their days discussing college football, baseball and basketball. He's written sports journalism for years after studying journalism at a local university. Over time, Peter has cultivated extensive knowledge covering sports betting legislation across the country. He closely tracks the latest regulatory developments and provides key insights into their impacts. Peter also offers sharp MLB betting analysis, leveraging stats and trends to identify value on matchups.

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