Legislation to allow for sports betting as well as casino gaming has been a major point of discussion in the Georgia legislature in recent years, and supporters look to be committed to pressing the issues until they are passed in some form. For now though, entities like the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Henry County, south of Atlanta, are lining up behind the issues to 1) help move them forward and 2) make sure that when passed, they are at the front of the line. Officials at AMS, a sprawling 1.54-mile race track that can host up to 125,000 spectators, are angling to become an “entertainment destination” that could feature sports betting and gaming at some point in the future. As of now the track is most famous for hosting an array of NASCAR races, but if it plays its hands correctly could become a destination resort that pulls in thousands of visitors even when the sound of roaring engines and squealing rubber has gone quiet. Track officials say such a venture could create thousands of jobs in and around Hampton, some 20 miles south of Atlanta, and generate millions of dollars in additional tax revenue.
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