Why Georgia should legalize sports gambling

Lee Turner is a 45-year-old Dunwoody resident who has enjoyed sports gambling since he was a freshman at Georgia Tech betting on football games via a dorm-room bookie. He wants Georgia legislators to approve sports gambling.

By Lee Turner – For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

June 24, 2022

Lee Turner is a 45-year-old Dunwoody resident who has enjoyed sports gambling since he was a freshman at Georgia Tech betting on football games via a dorm-room bookie.

I am writing to support legalizing sports gambling in Georgia. In summary, the genie is out of the bottle with ubiquitous access to sports gambling through technology. Via technology, sports betting is easier than ever and only getting easier as leagues and technology companies make gambling part of the sports mainstream. Georgia is losing access to a meaningful way to positively impact Georgia youth by forcing Georgia residents to other platforms for sports betting alternatives (i.e., legal sportsbooks in neighboring states), offshore accounts or illegal local bookmakers.

By legalizing sports gambling, Georgia could make a positive impact on the public education system. I was a recipient of the HOPE scholarship (via the Georgia Lottery), and legalizing sports gambling could have a similar impact on another generation of Georgia public school students.

The moral corrosion of gambling is a common concern for opponents of legalizing sports gambling. This concern is more of a reason for legalization, in my opinion. By moving people to a monitored platform with regulation, we can now identify people that need help and get them solutions before problems turn into addictions.

In summary, I think legalization could make an immediate impact on the next generation of Georgia’s students by moving a common activity to an online regulated platform.