Casino expansion proponents in Georgia may be gearing up for another push as the state’s 40-day legislative session is set to begin next week, local news outlet The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. There have been recurring efforts for the legalization of casino gambling in the state for several years now, but these did not gain much momentum in the Legislature.
It is yet to be seen whether and when a bill on the matter will be introduced this year. And given the fact that casino gambling has gained quite persistent proponents over the past several years, such a bill should be expected.
Previous legislative pieces have called for the authorization of the construction of between two and six casinos across the state. Most recently, Sen. Brandon Beach introduced SB 79 on the matter. Generally speaking, the bill called for the legalization of casino gambling in the state and the construction of what he defined as two “destination” resorts with casinos.
The bill emerged in early 2017 and died in the Legislature shortly after, failing to survive its first Senate Committee vote. As mentioned above, SB 79 proposed the construction of two casino resorts – one in Atlanta that would have required $2-million total investment, and another in a different part of the state with a minimum investment of $450 million. Sen. Beach said last year that while disappointed by his bill’s failure, he was not discouraged. The lawmaker indicated that he might relaunch the casino legalization effort during the 2018 legislative session.
How Will the State Benefit from Expanded Gambling?
Proponents of expanded casino gambling have argued that Georgia is losing precious tax money to neighboring states with established casino industry as Georgians tend to frequent their casinos. Casinos have also been pointed to as contributors of much-needed funds to the HOPE Scholarship and other student scholarship programs.
Opponents of the effort have voiced concerns that expanded gambling could bring about increased crime rate and other social ills. However, supporters of the idea have pointed out that they do not believe the launch of destination resorts, ones worth millions and even billions of dollars, would have an excessively negative impact on society.
Georgia’s casino expansion effort, although mostly unsuccessful so far, has drawn attention from major casino operators. Las Vegas-based casino giant MGM Resorts International has expressed interest in the opportunity to build a $2-billion destination resort in Atlanta and has been supporting the push for expanded gambling in the state quite actively.
The results from a poll conducted late last year showed that more than a half of Georgians would vote in favor of the legalization of casino gambling in the state. Here it is important to note that Georgia’s Constitution mandates that casino expansion could occur only if the move is approved by state voters in a statewide referendum.
