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Efforts to legalize casinos in Georgia, one of the last major regional markets that is off limits to gambling, came to a halt Monday when legislators failed to get a bill out of committee.
Legislation has to move forward by the end of this week, meaning a casino bill can’t be revisited until next year.
Gambling is barred under Georgia’s constitution, but major casino corporations in recent years have viewed the state as a ripe opportunity for growth in the U.S.
Other regional markets, such as the Northeast, have become saturated as commercial casinos have spread into nine new U.S. states over the last 15 years.
By contrast, Georgia, the eighth-most populous state, is bordered by South Carolina and Tennessee, which also have no casinos.
Seven major casino corporations, including MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts Ltd. and Las Vegas Sands Corp., hired more than 50 lobbyists in Atlanta to press their case this legislative session.
Legalizing gambling in the state would involve a constitutional amendment requiring the approval of two-thirds of legislators in the state Senate and House and a majority of voters.
In the end, however, the amendment bill’s sponsor, Sen. Brandon Beach, was unable to muster the committee votes needed to bring the bill to consideration of the full Georgia Senate.
“I’m disappointed, but we’re going to keep our chin up and strategize going forward for next year,” said Mr. Beach, a Republican.
He said he tried to offer concessions to appease more members of the committee, including directing some of the tax proceeds toward rural health care and drug addiction,
but in the end he didn’t have enough votes.
This marks the second year in a row that casino-legalization efforts in the state have fizzled. The bill faced opposition from Christian groups worried about the ill effects of gambling.
Some business groups also expressed concerns about whether full-scale resort casinos could hurt other entertainment venues in Atlanta and other cities.
Efforts to legalize casinos in Georgia, one of the last major regional markets that is off limits to gambling, came to a halt Monday when legislators failed to get a bill out of committee.
Legislation has to move forward by the end of this week, meaning a casino bill can’t be revisited until next year.
Gambling is barred under Georgia’s constitution, but major casino corporations in recent years have viewed the state as a ripe opportunity for growth in the U.S.
Other regional markets, such as the Northeast, have become saturated as commercial casinos have spread into nine new U.S. states over the last 15 years.
By contrast, Georgia, the eighth-most populous state, is bordered by South Carolina and Tennessee, which also have no casinos.
Seven major casino corporations, including MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts Ltd. and Las Vegas Sands Corp., hired more than 50 lobbyists in Atlanta to press their case this legislative session.
Legalizing gambling in the state would involve a constitutional amendment requiring the approval of two-thirds of legislators in the state Senate and House and a majority of voters.
In the end, however, the amendment bill’s sponsor, Sen. Brandon Beach, was unable to muster the committee votes needed to bring the bill to consideration of the full Georgia Senate.
“I’m disappointed, but we’re going to keep our chin up and strategize going forward for next year,” said Mr. Beach, a Republican.
He said he tried to offer concessions to appease more members of the committee, including directing some of the tax proceeds toward rural health care and drug addiction,
but in the end he didn’t have enough votes.
This marks the second year in a row that casino-legalization efforts in the state have fizzled. The bill faced opposition from Christian groups worried about the ill effects of gambling.
Some business groups also expressed concerns about whether full-scale resort casinos could hurt other entertainment venues in Atlanta and other cities.
