Georgia to push for legalised gambling
A state Representative is set to present a bill during the next legislative session.
US.- State Representative Ron Stephens has revealed that he has the intention to push for a bill in the next legislative session that would legalise casino gambling at three Georgia sites near Savannah, the state’s third-largest metropolitan area.
“They’re going to be incredibly unique [in the state]. It will be nothing different than someone going to Disney World, but I want to see that in Georgia. It’s entertainment, the whole thing is entertainment,” Stephens said.
The bill would establish that the companies that could bid on the limited licences would need to produce at least 10,000 new jobs and invest at least US$1.2 billion. If the bill passes, the state would have 30,000 new jobs and US$3.6 billion in new development. “[For] the big players that want to be a part of this, US$1.2 billion will be on the low side,” Stephens said.
Stephens also said that the facilities would be “destination resorts”, and that gambling would only be a part of the project. He also said that there could be areas in Atlanta eligible for the casino, but didn’t specify which ones. “There are places in the Atlanta area that are inside the city limits of Atlanta and are incredibly interested [in] this endeavour,” he said. “And it will change forever the way this particular area is looked at.”
This is certainly not the first time that the state has tried to pass a bill that would legalise gambling activity in Georgia, but the last attempts have been pretty close to making it through. Stephens is confident that his proposal is solid enough to be a reality.
