Midtown Atlanta’s Hudson Grille is the site tomorrow from 7 to 9 pm for an Oxford-style debate over the expansion of gambling in Georgia and the people’s right to vote on it. Expect an overflow crowd since the expansion of legal gaming is an especially hot topic in the 2020 Georgia General Assembly. Proponents are state Sen. Brandon Beach, R- Alpharetta, and former GOP National Chairman and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. Opponents are state Sen. Bruce Thompson, R-White, and Cole Muzio of the Family Policy Alliance.
The host of the event is the Atlanta Young Republicans chapter chaired by Gabe Hartwig and there will be three AYR questioners for the debaters. As the AYR Facebook page notes: “Proponents of expansion argue it will bring new jobs to Georgia and help compensate for falling state tax revenues. Opponents question revenue projections and say legalized gambling could also bring increased crime.”
Currently Georgia’s only legal gambling is the state-run Lottery. But a Senate study committee led by Beach studied the legalization of local-option pari-mutuel horse racing, online sports betting and destination resort casino gaming. Sports betting, proponents say, could pass as a bill and not as a constitutional amendment. The horse racing and casino components would require passage of a constitutional amendment that would require statewide ratification by voters.