Georgia lawmakers are poised to pass a bill to legalize and regulate fantasy sports. The effort got a boost Tuesday from Tom Glavine, the former Atlanta Brave and Hall of Fame pitcher.
ATLANTA -- Georgia lawmakers are poised to pass a bill to legalize and regulate fantasy sports. The effort got a boost Tuesday from Tom Glavine, the former Atlanta Brave and Hall of Fame pitcher.
The big debate over fantasy sports is whether it’s gambling. If it is, it would be illegal. This bill calls fantasy sports “contests” not gambling and therefore, makes them legal.
"I argue that it’s more of a game of skill," Glavine said Tuesday. He says he is a fantasy sports player – among the estimated one and a half million Georgians who assemble rosters of professional athletes and parlay their performances into wins and losses in fantasy leagues.
"It enhances and changes, quite honestly, the way I watch games sometimes," Glavin said. "And on the other side of it as a player, I know the connection it brought with people to their favorite athlete."
Glavine and other backers of HB 118 argue that as a game of skill, fantasy sports isn't gambling. Their bill would regulate it – requiring state registration and fees from larger operators.
"I’m putting this measure forth because I think there are some consumer protections that need to be put in place for Georgians," said Rep. Trey Kelley (R-Cedarttown).
But opponents like Mike Griffin liken this bill to this year’s stalled casino bill that never used the word “casino.”
"I think they need to be intellectually honest and say, this is gambling," said Griffin of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.
The bill has already passed the House and cleared a Senate committee.
