That's A Peach Hon
A newly formed Georgia Committee met for the first time to discuss potential gambling expansions.
The Bulletin Board
THE LEDE: Georgia weighs the pros and cons of gambling expansions.
ROUNDUP: MI courts let gamblers sue operators; UNLV IGI Advisory Board; NM tribe joins NAAiG.
NEWS: Pennsylvania will be adding extra layers to its KYC checks.
VIEWS: Is California sports betting a lost cause? [Probably not]
AROUND the WATERCOOLER: Gilbert Arenas and Kalshi both go down.
STRAY THOUGHTS: Fast Company makes a podcast appearance.
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The Lede: Georgia Weighs Pros and Cons of Gambling
Georgia has taken several swings at legalizing casinos and online gambling, but the state has struck out every time, including this year.
Despite the many failures, gambling expansion is still being discussed.
The newly formed House Study Committee on Gaming, chaired by Rep. Marcus Wiedower, held its first meeting on July 28. The committee is tasked with exploring the potential for casino gambling, sports betting, and horse racing, with recommendations due by December 1. Last week’s hearing focused on commercial casinos.
Supporters estimate casinos could generate $500 million annually in state revenue (sports betting could add $150 million, per estimates) and touted the public support, evidenced by a University of Georgia poll that indicated 63% of voters favor sports betting legalization.
Proponents, like Ed Clark, the president of EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway), made the case for land-based expansion, showing the Committee its plans for a destination casino resort in Hampton, which would create up to 3,000 construction jobs and 2,500 to 3,000 permanent positions.
"I don't think the legislature should be legislating morality," Clark said. "I think the citizens of Georgia need to decide."
On the opposition side, the Committee heard mainly from conservative and religious groups — Georgia lacks legal commercial gaming, so unlike most other states that pit gambling interests vs. gambling interests, in Georgia, it’s businesses (sports franchises and venues) clashing against entrenched conservative opposition.
Mike Griffin of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board warned that gambling’s social costs — rising crime, bankruptcies, and addiction — could outweigh the financial benefits.
Mike Griffin, quoting former Rep. Todd Jones, argued, “It's intellectually dishonest to talk about the benefits of gambling without talking about the detriments.”
While some have argued it’s an unnecessary step, any effort to legalize gambling would likely require voter approval via a constitutional amendment, as Georgia’s constitution currently prohibits casino gambling and pari-mutuel betting.
The committee’s upcoming hearings will delve into online sports betting and horse racing, building on past legislative efforts like Wiedower’s stalled 2025 resolution for a sports betting referendum.
Roundup: MI Court Lets Gamblers Sue Ops; UNLV IGI Advisory Board; NM Tribe Joins NAAiG
Michigan Supreme Court Rules Gamblers Can Sue Over Online Betting Disputes [Michigan Advance]: Michigan Supreme Court “In a unanimous opinion written by Justice Brian Zahra, the high court in Davis v. BetMGM ruled that the Michigan Legislature did not intend for the Lawful Internet Gambling Act to prevent litigants from bringing common-law claims related to gambling disputes between a patron and a gambling licensee.” The case involves a BetMGM player who won a multi-million-dollar jackpot, attempted to withdraw $100,000, and had her account subsequently suspended. Following the Michigan Supreme Court's decision, the two lower court decisions were overturned, and the case can now proceed.
UNLV IGI creates advisory board [SBC Americas]: The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) International Gaming Institute (IGI) has formed its first-ever advisory board to “provide strategic counsel, foster connections and contribute insights and resources to help IGI maintain its status as the intellectual capital for gambling research and education worldwide.” The board is made up of 14 individuals, who are a veritable who’s who from across the gambling industry.
New Mexico tribe joins the NAAiG [ReadWrite]: The National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG) has a new member, Laguna Development Corporation, a business run by the Pueblo of Laguna tribe of New Mexico. The tribe operates several gambling establishments in New Mexico. Per ReadWrite, “Laguna operates multiple gambling outlets in New Mexico. These include Route 66 Casino Hotel, Casino Xpress, and Dancing Eagle Casino, which it points out has over 1000 people on staff.” As I mentioned when GLPI joined, the NAAiG membership is increasingly diverse, as you can now add a tribe to casino operators, VGT suppliers, unions, towns, and a REIT.
Quick Hitter: New KYC Rules Coming to Pennsylvania
Earlier this week, I mentioned that a New Jersey bill would prohibit micro-betting markets. There is also the soon-to-be-enacted credit card ban in Illinois (one of a growing list of states that prohibit credit cards). Then there is Pennsylvania, where “regulators have released a list of enhanced know-your-customer (KYC) requirements in an effort to strengthen account security and reduce fraudulent activity, as they continue to involuntarily exclude online gaming customers for unscrupulous activities,” per Vixio Regulatory Intelligence (a newsletter sponsor).
The new regulations take effect on September 30 and will require uploading an ID and completing a liveness check (such as a selfie photo) to register a new account.
These collective policy changes indicate a legislative and regulatory desire to introduce some friction into the industry, to address fraud and establish best practices in a rapidly evolving tech era, as well as to rein in what are perceived as the sports betting industry’s excesses.
SPONSOR’S MESSAGE - Episode 83: Can FanDuel Compete with Polymarket in Prediction Markets?
Host Brad Allen is joined by trading consultant Matthew Trenhaile and Sporttrade CEO Alex Kane to discuss prediction markets, including:
Whether FanDuel and DraftKings can compete with Polymarket and Kalshi
Why speed to market is more important than product quality
How smaller OSB operators will handle the opportunity
Listen to the episode here.
Views: Are Commercial Operators Giving Up on a CA Compromise?
The general chatter at recent conferences and in the media indicates that talks between California tribes and commercial operators have stalled.
There was the very public blowout over a presentation at the Indian Gaming Association (IGA) conference in April.
Adam Krejcik of Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (a newsletter sponsor), half-jokingly said, “I truly believe we will see a human being on Mars before we get online casino (in California),” at the IGA conference.
And despite a growing threat from prediction markets (which some have speculated could accelerate a potential deal between commercial operators and tribes), it doesn’t appear that the situation has improved, as there is an increasing amount of chatter about how commercial operators can sidestep tribes if an agreement doesn’t materialize.
“Online sports betting operators have struggled to find a path into California. And if a path doesn’t emerge, prediction markets will become increasingly appealing, especially if DraftKings and FanDuel feel like they’re losing ground to Kalshi and Polymarket,” Chris Grove, a sports betting angel investor who is a managing partner at Acies Investments and has a stake in Underdog Fantasy, told The New York Post last week.
If commercial operators pursue that path, they are effectively giving up on ever reaching an agreement with the tribes.
Around the Watercooler
Social media conversations, rumors, and gossip.
Two interesting developments from yesterday that pretty much speak for themself.
First up was some downtime for Kalshi and, apparently Polymarket:
And then there was the Gilbert Arenas news:
Stray Thoughts
One of my favorite gambling books was discussed on a recent podcast episode:
Unfortunately, the many “Best Poker/Gambling Books” lists I’ve written over the years are no longer online, but for those wondering, Fast Company is a fast read that may or may not feature slightly exaggerated accounts coupled with Bradshaw’s flair.
Tip of the cap to the Caddyshack headline. Respect.