PGA Tour Head Wants Georgia to Legalize Sports Betting

Professional sports franchises and leagues once thought that legalizing sports gambling would be a mistake – now they think not legalizing sooner is an issue. Georgia is an outlier, as the state still avoids legal sports gambling.

This has promoted local sports franchises as well as – most recently – the PGA Tour’s head, Scott Warfield, said that Georgia should get a move on and join the dozens of other states that already legalize the activity.

PGA Chimes in for Pro-Betting Lobby

The lack of a regulated sports betting framework resulted in a loss for the state, professional leagues, and teams, his argument ran. “This is a way to get the core fan engaged longer in our sport. They engage more with our content and follow the tournaments closely,” Warfield mused.

His remarks were shared shortly after the Tour Championship at East Lake, with Warfield choosing to join a choir of pro-sports betting voices, which includes such prominent local franchises as the Braves, Hawks, Falcons, and Atlanta United.

Everyone is hoping that a draft bill currently with the House Study Committee on Gaming could finally move forward and realize the coveted change. Yet, Georgia has been particularly resistant to passing legislation that would legalize sports gambling since 2018.

Warfield expects to see better engagement as well, should gambling be legalized in Georgia: “This attracts a 35- to 44-year-old fan base to come in, have a five-dollar bet on the end of the tournament yesterday and find out what great story lines we have on the PGA Tour.”

Georgian Lawmakers Prove Too Difficult a Hurdle to Clear

The size of the market is anyone’s guess, but a similar proposal in North Carolina, for example, a comparatively similar state, generated more than $110 million in revenue. Opposition persists in the state, naturally, but the simple truth is sports gambling is already happening.

Critics are correct to point out that by legalizing gambling, the number of at-risk gamblers will most likely increase because of the proliferation of promotional content. On the flipside, however, those who need help may hit a roadblock if gambling isn’t legalized, as there will be less funding and awareness for the issue.