A dominant entertainment partner in the state, the PGA Tour has doubled down on efforts to help push gaming along in Georgia. Per a recent national gaming article, officials with the PGA Tour, testifying in late August before the House Study Committee on Gaming in Georgia, encouraged the body to recommend that sports betting be legalized in the Peach State. During the legislative offseason, members of the House Gaming Study Committee, formed through the enactment of House Resolution 753 earlier this year, are reviewing various aspects of the commercial gaming industry. Following its summer and fall hearings, the committee will make recommendations to the General Assembly on which types of gambling, if any, to ponder during the 2026 legislative session.
In this report, SBS will be going over the latest gaming updates coming from the Peach State, along with some additional notes and info coming from SBS and more.
The committee held its second gathering in August in the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. The PGA Tour was invited to testify on whether it thinks the state should join the 39 other states that have authorized some type of legal sports gambling. Scott Warfield, the PGA Tour’s vice president of gaming, said the professional golf circuit enthusiastically supports the liberalization of regulated sports gambling. He was quoted as saying that legal sports betting has increased fan engagement, grown tournament spectatorship, and fueled television ratings.
Testifying before the House Gaming Study Committee, Warfield, who previously led NASCAR’s foray into gaming, said legal sports betting benefits sports leagues but also the states that allow it. “Legal mobile sports betting is good for the state of Georgia and its constituents. Legalization provides greater oversight and consumer protections, helping us protect the integrity of our games as well as millions of fans,” Warfield said in the report.
“If done right, this legalized activity helps us better engage our core fans, as well as attract new audiences,” Warfield continued. “Sports betting is already happening here in Georgia – we are just not able to monitor it, and you are not able to tax it.” Warfield’s presentation highlighted that legal sports betting is already occurring in several neighboring states, including Tennessee, North Carolina, and Florida.
Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell), a longtime state lawmaker, asked how the leagues and sports benefit from legal sports betting. “What’s really in it for the sports teams?” Powell’s question in the report. “What’s the profitability? What are you all getting back? Because in this world, nobody gets involved for good-natured humankind.” Joe Pierce, senior vice president and general counsel for AMB Sports and Entertainment, is the parent entity of the NFL Atlanta Falcons, among others. This group also includes MLS Atlanta United and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the sports conglomerate of Home Depot billionaire Arthur Morris Blank, who said there are various ways the leagues and teams make money from legal sports betting.
Pierce explained that the primary way teams benefit is through sponsorship deals with legal sports betting operators. As for the leagues and sports organizations, they often strike revenue deals with sportsbooks to acquire their official data streams.
Few states are as important to the PGA Tour and golf in general as Georgia. Augusta National Golf Club hosts one of golf’s four major tournaments each year – the Masters – in April. Georgia is also home to the Tour Championship by way of East Lake Golf Club, which concluded in August with a thrilling victory from Tommy Fleetwood. Georgia also hosts the RSM Classic on St. Simons Island each November.
Indeed, Georgia joins a growing list of southern states that are weighing their options as it pertains to sports betting and gambling. This includes other areas like Florida and Alabama that are currently hotbeds for gaming legislation conversations, as noted in this space before. Indeed, with gaming legalization becoming more predominant across America, there is growing confidence and focus on how each state can potentially mobilize it to their advantage, along with corporations looking for more profits. While it is not a linear path to legalization, as many in the space are well aware, it is something that is for sure not going away anytime soon for states and companies involved. There is just too much money and influence involved with this topic for it to lose momentum unless there is a significant change in gaming sentiment in the state or across the country as a whole, which seems unlikely.
After you are all up to speed regarding the latest gaming updates coming from the Peach State, make sure to peruse the excellent array of information available to you at SBS. For those interested in additional support from the state in question, the Georgia sports betting guide has you covered. Here, you can hear more about the latest updates and notes coming from the Peach State and more. Conversely, for those interested and qualified, the BetOnline sportsbook review rundown is an excellent resource that goes over a variety of highlights from the outlet and beyond. Finally, if you are interested in maximizing your wagers, the best bonus betting sites is a must-read page that covers all kinds of excellent updates. Here you can find a catalogue of the latest and greatest welcome bonus offers available to you.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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