Is Sports Betting Legal In Georgia?

To say that a lot of Georgia residents are sports fans may not be doing the phrase due justice. People from all over the state bleed for their beloved Falcons, Braves, Bulldogs or any other of Georgia's celebrated teams. The problem a lot of these fans face is that if they want to take steps to make the great matches involving these teams even more thrilling and meaningful by placing bets, they don't always know how, or even if they can bet on sports in Georgia. Luckily, there are many easy ways to make sure you can win a wager from that last minute three point shot the Hawks sink to win the game.

The first thing any Georgia resident wants to know is how they can place bets without leaving themselves open to persecution from the state courts. The good news is that the actual act of betting on sports is not illegal, meaning that there is no way you can be prosecuted for merely participating in any sports betting. This information gets cloudy because according to Georgia state law, it is illegal to run a sports book or to promote gambling in any way. This can lead to a lot of people carrying the conception that it is illegal to even place a bet in Georgia and they will need to take a long trip to Nevada or Tennessee to ever place a bet when in reality that is far from the truth.

Land-Based Sports Betting in Georgia:

Now that we've established that you can indeed place bets and wagers while never having to leave the comfort of your own state, the next thing to figure out is how to do that. Remember that while it is not punishable by law to participate in gambling, it's still illegal to facilitate or promote any sports betting in Georgia, so any establishments for land based sports betting you may find in Georgia will not be legitimate, endorsed options and can therefore prove dangerous not just to your personal safety, but to the monetary investment you make into your new hobby as well. Since seeking out underground sports betting rings is unsafe in just about every sense of the word, it is not a recommended way of going about sports betting.

Legal Online Sports Betting in Georgia:

The good news is that even though Georgia residents don't have any good options for land based sports betting, there are several great online sportsbooks that accept Georgia residents. By being based overseas, these online sites are able to get around the Georgia laws that prohibit the hosting of sports betting and are able to provide a high grade of service to their American clients. All the of the sportsbooks you see here come endorsed by big media giants like CSNBC and FOX sports, and a quick perusal of some user reviews will show you that Georgia residents simply adore these sportsbooks. They provide a safe, fun option that will assure your money is well taken care of and that your winnings will find you with consistency and with ease. Lawmakers have tried to pass legislation for legal online sports betting in Georgia as recent as 2021. The bills that made the most headway were GA SR 135 and GA SB 142. Those bills would’ve put the issue of regulated online sports betting on the ballot for GA voters to approve or deny, but the bills died in session. While lawmakers in GA get it figured out, online sportsbooks based overseas will happily take care of any of your betting needs.