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With sports betting in Missouri being legalized via a ballot vote earlier this month, we’re now down to 11 states that still have it illegal. One of those states is Georgia.
Despite attempt after attempt to legalize sports betting inside the Peach State, it still hasn’t happened. And honestly, it might not even happen anytime soon with the way things are shaping up.
However, that’s not stopping Georgia bettors. A new report has come out that hints at the locals’ appetite for sports wagering. Keep on reading and we’ll tell you all about what’s happening.
Bettors Geoblocked From Betting In-State
One of the latest ways to measure betting demand in states where betting is barred is through GeoComply. For those unaware, GeoComply provides the technology that legal sportsbooks use to pin their user’s location — and make sure they’re betting within legalized areas. If you’re trying to bet somewhere where it’s not legal yet, the GeoComply tech will block the bet.
Welp, GeoComply has begun providing data on bettors attempting to wager when they can’t, as they are in Georgia. Per the company, over 42,000 attempts to bet were made in Georgia on Sunday, November 17 alone. To level-set that number, it’s up 105 percent from the same weekend a year ago. These geochecks came from 7,800 different accounts — which is also up 129 percent from a year ago.
The data proves what we’ve already known: there’s a huge appetite for betting inside the sports-crazed state, especially during football season. Per usual, the Bulldogs are title contenders in the college ranks. Betting interest for the college team likely outweighs the NFL team, the Falcons, which are on their way to another middle-of-the-road season.
But as we’re about to tell you in the next section, there is a way to bet on those teams and other sports if you’re inside Georgia. You just have to get creative…
Georgia Bettors Have Alternative Options
In Georgia and with an itch to bet? There are ways to go about wagering in Georgia. Allow us to help you scratch that itch in the most effective ways.
The first is to visit a nearby state where betting is legal. Georgia neighbors two states with legalized betting markets. One is Florida. Inside the Sunshine State, legalized betting is allowed only on the Hard Rock Bet app or its physical casinos. Hard Rock is owned by the Seminoles tribe, which has a monopoly on the gambling industry until 2051. Georgia bettors living in the southern part of the state can cross state lines into Florida somewhat easily.
Now if you’re in Atlanta, which is more north of the state, then the nearest option is Tennessee. The state has fully legalized mobile betting so as soon as you enter state lines, any of the betting apps work just fine.
Georgia has two other neighboring states in Alabama and South Carolina, however, both have wagering banned still. Those three southern states are some of the last holdovers left in the sports betting rush that began in 2018 when the federal ban was lifted.
But if we’re being honest, driving into a legal state isn’t our recommended option for interested Georgia bettors. No, you can safely bet inside of the state without spending money on gas. How? Through offshore sportsbooks, that’s how. These sites have filled the gap for betting in Georgia.
Since these sites are located in foreign countries — where betting is legal and regulated — they sidestep the regulations of Georgia or any other state for that matter. We’ve tried them inside Georgia and it works perfectly fine from a computer or phone. Heck, many of these sportsbooks give licensed apps like DraftKings a run for their money. Here’s our list of offshore sites we personally recommend using if inside the Peach State:
Previous Attempts At Legalizing Have All Failed
At least Georgia has tried to legalize betting. By our count, there have been six different attempts at legalizing via bills.
We won’t get into details about each one, but it’s worth reflecting on the most recent attempts. Senate Bill 386, the most recent attempt, died a fast death during the 2024 legislative session. The keyword in the last sentence is fast because other attempts invoked more conversation among lawmakers. SB 386 was left untouched in the House for the most part.
The question is, why? Are lawmakers less receptive to legal betting? We actually don’t think so. Industry experts point to two main factors for the swift demise of this year’s efforts: disagreements over whether a constitutional amendment is necessary and leadership challenges in the Georgia House.
To add color to the constitutional debate issue, the original proposal from Senator Clint Dixon aimed to classify Georgia sports betting as a lottery game. However, Senator Bill Cowsert argued that the issue requires a constitutional amendment instead. This debate only stifled progress in 2024.
Moreover, the House had some new blood in 2024 that frankly, just didn’t prioritize sports betting like previous predecessors did. Again, we don’t take that as them not being receptive to betting, but more like they had “bigger fish to fry.”
Either way, the two issues will need to be resolved for legalized betting to have a chance at passing in 2025 or beyond. We’ll keep our eyes glued to see what happens.
Best Betting Sites 