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Things felt like they were so close for the Georgia sports betting push this year. In previous attempts, Georgia didn’t feel super close to getting things done, but that wasn’t the case in 2024. There was a strong feeling that maybe, just maybe, things would get across the line. However, everyone will have to wait until at least 2025. So, what in the world happened? According to a report, taxes got in the way of Georgia legalizing sports betting in 2024.
According to the Associated Press, lawmakers in Georgia could not agree on what would be done with the tax revenue. This is a major disappointment, as the money that could have been brought in could have gone towards so many different resources in the state. Georgia officials tried their best to meet in the middle, but an agreement could not be made. Because of this, the final decision was to delay sports betting once again in the state.
“A top Democrat said his party wanted to see changes in how state taxes on sports betting would be spent,” the AP’s Jeff Amey said on the rough news. “Without Democratic votes, a constitutional amendment couldn’t achieve the two-thirds majority needed to pass the House and Senate. And Republicans were far from unified. Some GOP lawmakers oppose sports betting, saying they don’t want the state to sanction destructive and addictive behavior.”
The fact that some politicians prevented sports betting from coming to fruition due to addiction is another head-scratcher. Now, it’s back to the drawing board for Georgia, as the hope is that perhaps things can change in 2025. The state will once again try and get sports betting legalized next year, but there isn’t a ton of optimism there. It will be interesting to see if somehow things can be changed, but the odds aren’t that strong right now.
Illegal NFL Draft betting was a problem for Georgia
One thing that continues to raise eyebrows is that illegal NFL Draft betting was a problem for Georgia last month. As you probably recall, the first round took place on April 25 and Caleb Williams went with the No. 1 overall pick. He was followed by Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye at No. 2 and No. 3 overall, respectively. Plenty of people in Georgia bet on those picks, but they were of course focused on the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons had the No. 8 overall pick in the draft and they were linked to several different targets. This led to a lot of people putting money down on certain prospects. However, the Falcons shocked everyone when they went with Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. This came after Atlanta made the move to bring in Kirk Cousins. Not many people saw this coming, which could have led to a lot of betting revenue for Georgia if betting was legalized.
I saw some people talking about how Atlanta may have picked Michael Penix because Kirk Cousins isn’t making good progress in his Achilles recovery.
We‘ve now had several incidents showing Kirk making good progress.
Atlanta simply made a bad pick.
pic.twitter.com/tuMFXMw4T6— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) May 2, 2024
“I’m still going to prepare like I’m going to be on that field because you never know when your number is called, but you got to be ready,” Penix said. “So, for me, I’m going to do whatever I can to be ready on Day 1. I’m still going to put in the same work. I’m going to prepare and I’m going to work as if I’m the starter – no matter what my role is – because I want to do anything I can to help this team win a football game. And for me to do that, I got to be at my best.”
Leading up to the 2024 season, there are extraordinary expecations for the Falcons. There’s no question that NFL betting, once again, is going to be quite high all across the United States, with Atlanta supporters checking the NFL betting odds consistently. However, legal betting on the Falcons won’t be allowed, which is a major disappointment. At this point, all Falcons fans can do is hope that 2025 will be the year that legal wagers will be allowed. Again, though, it’s a tall climb for things to get done.
Braves fans are also disappointed by the latest news
It goes without saying, but Braves fans are also disappointed by the latest news that prevented legal betting from getting done. When it comes to the current MLB betting odds, the Braves are considered a powerhouse to push for a World Series title. Whether it be with their pitching or hitting, the Braves are loaded with a ton of talent and they feel like a lock to win the NL East this season. Once the postseason gets here, they’ll be ready to make a strong push too.
For the LEAD 🙌#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/SLcyAAIAcM
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 4, 2024
That’s all great to hear, but the fact of the matter is that all bets on the Braves this season will be illegal. The same could be said last year, which is why people were hopeful that things would be changed by now. Instead, politicians are delaying things because they can’t come to an agreement on what to do with the tax revenue. This is a major loss for everyone involved. Soon enough, the hope is that legal betting will arrive in Georgia – should that happen, baseball fans will be ecstatic.
