Supporters of casino gambling hope to legalise the industry in the US state of Georgia after several failed attempts in recent legislative sessions.
Backers argue that casino gambling is the solution to the high demand for Georgia’s merit-based college scholarship programme, known as HOPE. Georgia’s lottery has struggled to keep up with demand for those awards, which are used to cover expenses to attend the state’s public colleges.
Legislators plan to introduce two identical bills. Ron Stephens, a Savannah Republican, is sponsoring the House version, which would allow two “resort destinations” that could offer casino gambling.
Stephens says the state would tax 20 per cent of gambling revenue, funneling it through a new commission overseeing gambling to the state lottery. He said 30 per cent of that pool will create a new needs-based college scholarship and the rest would be used for the HOPE scholarship, other college grants and the state’s pre-kindergarten programme.
