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The Georgia Bulldogs — arguably the most popular team in the state — are one of the favorites to win the College Football Playoff. However, most locals won’t be allowed to put any money on its games.
That’s because Georgia is one of only 11 states left without a legal sports betting market. And it’s not like the state hasn’t tried either. In the last half-decade or so, Georgia sports betting has been a political talking point year after year. Bills have been drafted. Votes have been had. But nothing has been able to stick.
With 2026 being days away, the natural question becomes: will Georgia finally legalize it in the new year? There’s a new proposal being kicked around trying to do so. Keep on reading, and we’ll tell you all about it!
Georgia Committee Pushing For Legalized Betting
Get this, the latest progress on legal sports betting for the state didn’t come from the governor. Not from a big-wig donor. No, it came from a tourism committee. That’s right, tourism! They think the lack of betting is hurting the state when attracting tourists.
The committee’s name is a catchy one: the Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism (try to say that one fast five times). In its final report of 2025, they slipped in a proposal to legalize mobile sports betting. The recommendation did NOT call for physical sportsbooks and casinos, though.
The recommendation was never discussed publicly during the committee’s final meeting. Instead, it showed up late as one of several high-level ideas meant to “guide future discussions,” not lock lawmakers into any specific policy.
You might be wondering, why the hell is a tourism committee the one banging the drums for this? Are people really not going to visit the state because it lacks sports betting? Well, the logic behind the suggestion is that Georgia is losing out on tax revenue that could be used to lure major sports events to the state. North Carolina was cited as an example of a state that funds tourism efforts via its sports betting tax.
When framed that way, the proposal starts making sense. Tourism, after all, is one of Georgia’s biggest economic flexes. The state welcomed more than 174 million visitors last year, generating an estimated $45.2 billion in spending. That kind of scale is exactly why some lawmakers see sports betting as a complementary revenue stream — not a culture shift, but a tool to keep Georgia competitive with neighboring states that already allow wagering.
The State Lost A Sports Betting Proponent Earlier
As we all know, lawmakers in the state will be the ones who ultimately decide on the issue or not. A report is nice and all to create dialogue, but you need stakeholders on board to lend support. Welp, Georgia just lost one of its biggest betting supporters.
Back in October, Rep. Marcus Wiedower stepped down, and with him went the most consistent, hands-on advocate for legal sports betting in the legislature. In years past, Wiedower was actively drafting bills, negotiating language, and trying to thread the needle politically.
Before leaving, Wiedower had introduced two separate proposals aimed at legalizing online-only sports betting under the Georgia Lottery. One spelled out tax rates and licensing caps. The other pushed for a statewide referendum in 2026. Neither passed, but still, he was fighting tooth and nail for the issue.
That voice is a goner now. A new lawmaker will have to step up if 2026 is going to be any different. But will anyone do it?
We have our doubts. There’s just a lot of obstacles — perhaps way too many for a somewhat moot political issue. Disagreements over where the money goes, whether a constitutional amendment is required, and how far lottery oversight can stretch have stalled past attempts. Betting, while wanted by most residents in the state, isn’t a game-changing issue worth all those fights. We hate to say that out loud, but it’s true inside the Peach State.
Prediction Markets Offer An Outlet For Georgia Fans
All this is to say, there is a legal way for Georgia locals to put money on the Bulldogs, Falcons, Hawks, or any other sports team of their choosing. And it’s not through traditional sports betting apps. Not even offshore sportsbooks either.
We’re talking about prediction markets. These are federally regulated and available to Georgia locals at this very moment.
Kalshi is the biggest name in the space. However, just in the last month, two familiar names have gotten into the space — Fanatics and DraftKings. Both bookies released separate prediction market products, and both offer them inside Georgia. FanDuel also launched its own product, but doesn’t offer it in Georgia as of this writing.
Prediction markets don’t offer as many options as regular sportsbooks, but hey, it’s something for a state that’s been locked out of betting for its entire history. Before Georgia plays Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, we expect locals to flood prediction markets. That’ll only increase if the Dawgs win and March on toward the national championship.
Best Betting Sites 