The Georgia State House Committee has passed a proposal that would give voters a say in casinos and other types of gambling.

What does the proposal suggest?

Dubbed the House Resolution 378, voters in the state will be allowed to comment if they want the state constitution to be amended. The proposed amendment seeks to permit “all forms of betting, bingo games, raffles, and gambling” which will be overseen by the newly created Georgia Gaming Commission.

The legislation was approved in the House Regulated Industries Committee this Wednesday and could move to the House floor for further debate. However, it has a tough schedule to beat since all bills have a Thursday deadline for passing out of either chamber so that they may be available through the legislative session.

Republican Rep. Alan Powell, the chairman of the House Regulated Industries Committee, said that funds raised via sports betting in the state will be utilized for education and for health care. He added that the legislature has debated gambling in the state for years and now it is time that voters decide what they want. Powell also said that if voters want gambling, it will be allowed and it is the duty of the lawmakers to put the choice in front of the people.

Gambling could help the state significantly

The legislation to legalize gambling and sports betting in the state came after a House study committee’s investigation into the matter in 2019. Democratic Rep. Al Williams of Midway, who was a participant of the committee, said that gambling could add a considerable economic boost for the state. He said that 180 lawmakers support gambling legalization in the state and they now want 11 million residents of the state to vote on the issue. “Let them have the last say,” he added.

However, not all groups in the state are supporting the proposition. Georgia Baptist Mission Board lobbyist Mike Griffin criticized the legislation and said that gambling would impact the state’s communities negatively.