HB 910 would legalize and regulate online sports betting in Georgia by creating a new article in the Georgia Lottery for Education Act. It designates the Georgia Lottery Corporation as the master sports betting licensee and gives it broad authority to license, regulate, audit, investigate, and enforce sports betting operations, including mobile and internet-based wagering. The bill defines key terms such as bettor, wager, online sports betting, sporting event, professional sports team, and prohibited conduct, and it sets out detailed rules for licensing, account registration, geofencing, identity verification, responsible gaming, data reporting, and integrity monitoring.
The bill limits participation to bettors who are at least 21 years old and physically located in Georgia, and it bars wagering by a wide range of insiders and connected persons, including lottery employees, licensee personnel, athletes, coaches, officials, and others with access to material nonpublic information. It also prohibits betting on certain events and bet types, such as high school sports and wagers on injuries, penalties, or replay reviews, and it requires licensees to maintain reserves, submit reports, and cooperate with law enforcement and sports governing bodies. The bill includes civil, administrative, and criminal penalties for violations, and it creates a process for appeals in Fulton County Superior Court.
HB 910 would also amend Georgia gambling and tax laws to fit sports betting into the state’s legal framework. It revises the definition of “bet” so that payments made under the new sports betting article are excluded from general gambling prohibitions, and it exempts lawful sports betting advertising and communications from existing restrictions on gambling information. On the tax side, it exempts sports betting wagers from state sales and use tax and imposes a 25 percent privilege tax on adjusted gross income from online sports betting, with revenues and fees directed as authorized by the Georgia Constitution for lottery-related purposes.
The bill’s overall policy approach is permissive but tightly controlled: it authorizes a limited number of Type 1 licenses tied to professional sports teams, certain golf and racing entities, steeplechase interests, and the Georgia Lottery Corporation, while also allowing outside online sports betting services providers to operate under those licenses. It further permits temporary licensing for out-of-state operators and allows professional sports governing bodies to enter commercial revenue-sharing agreements with licensees. The bill also includes responsible gambling requirements, self-limitation tools for bettors, and mandated problem-gambling resources and reporting.
Because no committee transcript or vote history is provided, there is no recorded debate or formal vote sentiment in the materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears designed to expand gambling access while emphasizing regulation, integrity safeguards, and revenue generation. Likely points of contention include the legalization of online sports betting itself, the size and structure of the license pool, the 25 percent tax rate, the role and discretion of the Georgia Lottery Corporation, and concerns about gambling addiction, integrity risks, and the treatment of collegiate and professional sports data and insider information.
HB 910 would substantially amend Title 50, Title 16, and Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated to create a regulated online sports betting market in Georgia. It expands the Georgia Lottery Corporation’s powers, adds a new Sports Betting Act, revises gambling definitions and advertising rules, and exempts lawful sports betting payments from certain gambling restrictions. It also imposes a new privilege tax on sports betting revenue and exempts sports betting wagers from state sales and use tax, while establishing licensing, enforcement, reporting, and penalty provisions that would govern operators, suppliers, bettors, and related sports entities.
No committee discussion or vote record is included, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from hearings or floor action. From the bill text, the sentiment appears generally favorable toward legalization and regulation, with a strong emphasis on public safeguards, integrity controls, and revenue collection. The structure suggests an effort to make sports betting politically and legally acceptable by tightly limiting who may operate, who may bet, and how the activity is monitored.
The main points of contention likely involve whether Georgia should authorize online sports betting at all, and if so, whether the Georgia Lottery Corporation should serve as the central regulator and master licensee. Other likely disputes include the limited number of licenses, the preferential treatment of certain professional sports teams and facilities, the 25 percent privilege tax, and the bill’s broad regulatory authority and exemptions from some administrative procedure requirements. Concerns about problem gambling, underage access, betting integrity, collegiate sports, and the use of official data and nonpublic information are also likely to be debated by opponents and stakeholders.