Pro teams in Georgia urge lawmakers to legalise sports betting

Four professional teams in the state formed an alliance to urge lawmakers to legalise online and mobile sports betting in Georgia.

US.- Four professional sports franchises in Georgia are ready to take on online and mobile sports betting. That is why the teams formed the Georgia Professional Sports Integrity Alliance and sent a letter to local lawmakers to urge them the legalisation of online and mobile sports betting in the state.

The alliance features the presidents of the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta United, as Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported. In that letter, the presidents explained that Georgia is the 12th largest state for illegal gambling. “It is not going away. That is why we must ensure the industry is above-board and transparent,” they said.

Atlanta Braves President and CEO Derek Schiller said that the presidents felt the legalisation was important enough to form an alliance. The goal is to advise the Legislature if they consider drafting legislation, Schiller said to the news outlet. They want to ensure that the activity gets regulated in a favourable way for them and ensure that the integrity of sports is preserved.

Billy Linville, a lobbyist that represents the coalition of teams, said that the franchises wouldn’t perceive revenue from sports betting. The teams would see more revenue from increased interaction, viewership and interest.

“The question isn’t if Georgians are going to bet on sports,” Linville said. “It’s whether they’ll wager in an illegal market or bet in a fully regulated environment that protects consumers and integrity of games.”