Georgia legislators gear up for fresh casino push

Politicians in the US state of Georgia are gearing up for another legislative push to authorize casino gambling, and this time they may even have the governor on their side.

On Tuesday, the Atlanta Journal Constitution offered a preview of new casino legislation expected to arrive in the state legislature on Wednesday. The casino bill represents a compromise from previous efforts by limiting the number of proposed gaming venues to two, while eliminating a proposal to allow pari-mutuel betting on horse races.

State Sen. Brandon Beach, a chief sponsor of the new casino push, said the bill would allow for one major ‘destination resort’ in the Atlanta area that would require a minimum investment of $2b. A secondary venue requiring investment of at least $450m would be authorized for either the Savannah, Columbus or Augusta areas.

The number of available licenses is a significant reduction from the six venues originally proposed in the casino legislation that failed to advance last year. That and other changes led Stephens to suggest legislators had “a very, very good chance of getting this thing through.”