Georgia sports betting amendment clears committee, but still needs Dem votes to pass

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There's still a chance Georgians could vote on authorizing sports betting in November, but the odds may be poor.

The House Higher Education Committee on Thursday passed out both a proposed state constitutional amendment and authorizing legislation that would let Georgians bet legally on pro and college sports.

But a top Democrat said his party still wants to see changes in how state taxes on sports betting would be spent. Without Democratic votes, a constitutional amendment can't achieve the two-thirds majorities needs to pass the House and Senate. And Republicans are far from unified. Some GOP lawmakers oppose sports betting, saying they don't want the state to sanction destructive and addictive behavior.

FIRST WEEK OF NC SPORTS BETTING SEES ALMOST $200M IN WAGERS: 'STRONG START'

Time is short to reach any agreement. Lawmakers will conclude their 2024 annual session after sundown Thursday.

House Minority Whip Sam Park, a Lawrenceville Democrat, voted to advance Senate Resolution 579 and Senate Bill 386, but said he and other Democrats don't support the bills passing as they're currently written. That's because the House committee changed the measure to allow taxes to be deposited for the use of HOPE college scholarships and prekindergarten classes.

NCAA basketball tournament brackets are displayed on video screens at the Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City N.J. on Wednesday, March 21, 2024. The American Gaming Association estimates Americans will wager $2.72 billion with legal outlets this year. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

The Senate measure prioritized using the money for prekindergarten, and some Democrats also want money to be used for