Georgia Gambling Sites

Is Online Gambling Legal in GA?

While some US states are on the fence as to whether or not they will legalize this activity, Georgia has remained firm in its stance to keep online casino gambling out of the state.

Although this is disappointing for players who want to enjoy the online gaming experience, all is not lost. The Peach State allows social casinos to operate legally, which effectively serve the same purpose, albeit dressed up in a slightly different way.

Georgia Gambling Laws

Georgia is among the most anti-gambling states in the US. It allows bingo games, raffles, and there’s also a state lottery. Sweepstakes casinos are also permitted, but other than those, it’s a closed shop for legal gambling options.

Looking at the law book (O.C.G.A. §16-12-21), a person in GA commits the crime of gambling when:

• they make a bet upon the partial or final result of any game or contest or upon the performance of any participant in such game or contest;
• they make a bet upon the result of any political nomination, appointment, or election or upon the degree of success of any nominee, appointee, or candidate; or
• they play and bet for money or other things of value at any game played with cards, dice, or balls.

If convicted of gambling, a person is charged with a misdemeanor, which can result in a fine of up to $1,000; a year in jail, or both.

Georgia Online Gambling Bill

There have been attempts to modernize Georgia online gambling laws, which could be considered a step in the right direction, although nothing has come of it yet. House Resolution #378 was tabled in 2020 with the aim of widening the gambling laws, but that was stopped.

Also in 2020, house bill #93, which proposed the legalization of retail sports betting and online sports betting, actually passed a Senate Special Judiciary vote (5-2). Yet, this appears to have stalled, as no visible progress has been made in the two years since.

Future of Online Gambling in Georgia

It’s difficult to say with any certainty what the future of online gambling in Georgia will be. As things stand, it would appear to be a distant dream. Quite often, gambling online follows the land-based option, but there are no brick-and-mortar casinos in the state and no plans to open any.

Yet, we remain optimistic that the lawmakers will eventually have a change of heart. There are a couple of reasons why this could happen. Firstly, illegal gambling in Georgia is not going to go away. Offshore sites will continue to target GA players.

Additionally, online sports betting has been legalized in neighboring Tennessee. Potentially, these factors may cause a rethink, but when that will be is unknown.

Current Online Gambling Options for Georgia Residents

Horse Racing

Horse betting – both in-person and online – is illegal in Georgia.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Like many US states, Georgia doesn’t have any specific laws related to daily fantasy sports, so it’s neither illegal nor legal. This has allowed the top DFS operators, such as FanDuel, PrizePicks, and DraftKings, to operate openly in the Peach State for many years. As there have been no attempts by lawmakers to prevent this, it seems to be something that they deem as acceptable.

Online Gambling Timeline

The Georgia state lottery was launched in 1992 under the Lottery for Education Act. That was the first form of gambling legalized in the state.

Things appeared to be heading in the right direction in 2012 when the state legislature gave approval for a casino, but the Governor at the time wouldn’t sign it into law. A couple of years later, the casino cruise ship, Tradewinds, had its license revoked for breaches of Georgia’s gambling laws.