The Senate Preservation of the HOPE Scholarship Program Study Committee held hearings to discuss the possibility of launching casino gambling in the US state of Georgia last week.
The hearings were held in Atlanta. Georgia is currently a barren gambling landscape, with just the lottery as an option for those who want to test their luck. Nearby states North Carolina, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana have destination gambling resorts, but getting to any of those places requires a lengthy drive or plane ride.
For instance, to get to the closest casino of any significance, Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina, it would take about three hours by car from the north side of Atlanta. Aside from underground poker games, of which there are many, there are simply no gaming options in Atlanta, much less the rest of Georgia (though southern Georgia is certainly much closer to Florida casinos).
A bill introduced by State Representative Ron Stephens in March would legalise casinos in the state. The Georgia Constitution already divides the state into five licensing regions; the bill would authorise the construction of one casino resort in each plus an additional one in region one, which includes the sprawling Atlanta metropolitan area. That second casino would be restricted in terms of size while the others would not.
The casinos would actually be taxed very little, with only 12 per cent of gross gaming revenues going to the state, presumably funneled mostly to the HOPE Scholarship program. The licensing fee for the “primary casino” in region one would be $25m, while the fee for the rest would be $10m each. Licences would be good for 15 years.
Atlanta has already been attracting the attention of casino companies looking to build properties as soon as they are given the green light. MGM Resorts International has already proposed a $1bn gaming resort, which would include non-gaming facilities such as dining, shopping and other entertainment.
