ATLANTA — A lawmaker thinks 2015 will be the year that parimutuel betting on horse races finally makes it onto the ballot for Georgia voters.
Horse racing is legal in Georgia, but betting on those races is not. Republican state Rep. Harry Geisinger of Roswell says the industry could bring big money to the state.
Geisinger has been trying to legalize parimutuel betting in Georgia for seven years.
"When you go to a track you have a race which will last two minutes or less. You've got 30 minutes between the races," Geisinger told Channel 2 political reporter Lori Geary. "It's entertainment."
Geisinger is proposing a constitutional amendment that would put the issue on the ballot for voters to decide in two years.
The measure needs a two-thirds majority vote by the Georgia House and Senate before it goes to the public in a general election.
"It's time to do this, the state is looking for dollars," Geisinger said.
Some groups opposed the bill, including the Georgia Christian Coalition which posted on its website that gambling in any form is destructive to individuals and families.
Geisinger says the bill would dedicate money to higher education, pre-K and trauma care. He says most of the money would come from tourists or people placing bets on the phone or online.
"The lottery is the worst type of gambling because any fool can plunk money down and think they're going to become a millionaire," he told Geary.
Geisinger says horse racing is becoming more popular, especially among television viewers.
WSBTV
