Georgia Democrats' 2026 Midterm Gains Set Stage for 2027 Casinos and Sports Betting Referendum

Democrats secured control of the Georgia House of Representatives for the first time in more than two decades following the 2026 midterms. Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms will become the state's first Black female governor and the first Democrat in that office since 1998. Republicans retain a four-seat majority in the Senate.

Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor and senior advisor to President Joe Biden, campaigned on lowering costs for families. She has signaled that expanded gambling could help fund education priorities and other initiatives. This stance contrasts with predecessor Gov. Brian Kemp, who opposed casinos and sports betting.

Bottoms' Agenda for Gaming Revenues

Georgia currently restricts gambling to charitable games and its lottery, which has funded scholarships for more than 2.3 million students. Keisha Lance Bottoms wants universal pre-K for every four-year-old and full-day kindergarten. She has identified gambling expansion as one potential revenue source to support these programs, according to reporting by Casino.org.

A constitutional amendment via statewide referendum is required before any legislation. “Funding this promise starts with giving Georgia voters the final say. A constitutional amendment is required because the Georgia Constitution provides that casino gambling is prohibited unless specifically allowed, so casino gaming cannot be authorized by ordinary legislation alone,” Bottoms said earlier this year.

Georgia ranks as one of only four states without tribal or commercial casinos, alongside Hawaii, South Carolina, and Utah. It is the most populous among them.

The 2027 Referendum Test

Polls show around 60% support for casino gambling. A majority also favors regulating and taxing sports betting on professional and college events, though enthusiasm is lower than for casinos.

Religious organizations remain a formidable obstacle. The Faith and Freedom Coalition, Georgia Baptist Mission Board, and Moms Against Gambling have consistently opposed expansion. “In legalizing immoral vices, we have put money over morality. We have made what appears to be the idolatry of money the primary reason for passing or not passing legislation in government,” said Mike Griffin, public affairs representative for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.

The combination of new legislative majorities and gubernatorial support makes a 2027 push more likely than in prior cycles. Operators tracking Southeast market entry and investors assessing regulatory risk should monitor the referendum timeline once the new administration takes office in January. The outcome will turn on whether education-funding arguments can overcome entrenched moral objections at the ballot box.