Legalizing sports betting wasn’t a career-killer for politicians in North Carolina, and it may not be for lawmakers in Georgia either.
That, at least, was part of a pitch made to a handful of Georgia House lawmakers on Monday, as the chamber’s Study Committee on Gaming met again to hear testimony about online sports betting, horse racing, and casino gaming.
- Georgia lawmakers heard on Monday that North Carolina's legalization of online sports betting brought significant tax revenue, with no political backlash or election losses for lawmakers who backed it.
- Former NC lawmaker Jason Saine told Georgia legislators that sports betting didn’t hurt careers in his state and urged them to consider similar action.
- Despite some political differences between the states, Georgia lawmakers are studying the issue.
Despite years of debate, Georgia has not legalized any of those forms of gambling, and it may never. However, the study committee is researching the subject of legal sports betting in Georgia (among other things) and will make recommendations that their fellow lawmakers may heed or ignore when they get back to work next year.
If there are Georgia lawmakers worried about what sports betting could mean for their political careers, they could have gotten a shot of confidence from Monday’s study committee meeting.
You'll live
The first witness was Jason Saine, a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives and one of the chief sponsors of the legislation that brought legal online sports wagering to the Tar Heel State.
“My goal today is to share with you North Carolina's transparent, explosive revenue growth and zero political backlash, and encourage adoption in Georgia,” said Saine, who now works as a lobbyist for The Southern Group.
Members of the Republican-controlled North Carolina General Assembly passed an online sports betting bill in June 2023, and it was then signed into law by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. Online sportsbooks launched in the state in March 2024, and hundreds of millions of dollars are now wagered monthly with mobile bookmakers, such as $370.4 million in July.
More than $116 million in tax revenue was generated from online sports betting in North Carolina from July 2024 to June 2025, Saine said, outpacing early fiscal estimates of around $65 million.
Bipartisan benefits (or boredom)
Backers of legalized sports wagering in the state have yet to face any political payback either, “no political fallout, zero election losses,” Saine said.
The North Carolina General Assembly is still controlled by Republicans and Cooper, whose term as governor has ended, is now a leading contender to win one of the state’s U.S. Senate seats.
“None of the people who supported sports betting, who voted for it or on the bill as sponsors, lost their either primary or their general election,” Saine said. “And quite frankly, it wasn't even an issue.”
If anything, sports betting may not even be on the political radar of any voter. Citing polling from his “ruby red” Republican district, Saine said around 73% of residents either didn’t care or were supportive of sports wagering.
“It didn't impact Democrats,” Saine said. “It didn't impact Republicans.”
The reassurances from someone who was once in the same position as some Georgia lawmakers are now, debating and discussing the legalization of sports betting, may help some Peach State legislators to take the plunge.
In nearby North Carolina, Saine pointed out, authorizing a handful of online sportsbooks wasn’t a career-ending move for politicians, and it could be the same situation in Georgia.
Georgia isn't going to legalize sports betting this year. But that doesn't mean lawmakers in Georgia are done talking about legal sports betting this year:https://t.co/UMpNqbqgRr @Covers
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) July 29, 2025
There could even be some ribbons to cut and photo ops to be had. Saine noted that North Carolina decided to dedicate around 30% of sports betting-related revenue for a fund designed to attract big events to the state, which he said accrued $34 million after one year of wagering.
“We're ready to recruit the next big event in North Carolina,” Saine said.
Nevertheless, the political situations in North Carolina and Georgia, while similar, are not exactly the same. Saine acknowledged that the North Carolina legislature didn’t need a “super majority” or to ask voters to amend the state constitution for sports wagering, which is now the apparent consensus of what's needed in Georgia.
Saine also noted the issue that North Carolina sports bettors can face at tax time, as the state does not allow them to deduct gambling losses.
“That's an issue that has come up,” he said. “We've got some legislators that want to see that, but that's not part of the equation now.”
