Wait for Legal Sports Betting in Georgia and Minnesota Set to Continue

It looks like it's going to be a bit longer for some states to get access to our best sports betting sites.

The beginning of the year brings fresh legislative sessions in each US state and new chances to legalize sports betting. With 38 states and Washington, D.C., having some form of legal sports betting and other states unlikely to legalize it in the near future, like Utah and Hawaii, the focus falls on a handful of states where legislation has a chance of passing.

Minnesota lawmakers have been trying to pass sports betting legislation for years, while Georgia has also come close to legalizing it in the past. However, after the recent failures of sports betting bills, it looks like both states will go another year without successfully enacting sports betting legislation.

Years of sports betting failure in Minnesota

You can’t say Minnesota lawmakers haven’t tried to legalize sports betting. Several bills have been introduced across a number of years, with the 2024 bill almost passing. However, 2025 may be another year of failure as the deadline for committees in MN in April approaches.

Senator Matt Klein introduced SF 757 in February to legalize sports betting. However, it was referred to and quickly defeated in a committee. Legislators recently introduced HF 1842, the companion bill to SF 757.

When SF 757 was introduced, it was debated in a committee within 14 days. Fourteen days have passed since HF 1842 was introduced on March 3, and it has not received a date to be considered in a committee. If the deadline passes and HF 1842 is left in limbo, Minnesota gamblers may have to wait another year for sports betting. 

Georgia betting referendum fails

Like Missouri, which recently legalized sports betting through a voter referendum, Georgia voters would have to head to the ballot in November to get legal sports betting. However, it looks like a ballot vote won’t be approved in 2025 as HB 686 failed to generate enough support from lawmakers, and the deadline for the House to pass legislation came and went without the bill progressing.

While the bill could be revived later in the session, that seems unlikely. House Higher Education Committee Chairman Chuck Martin said, “It came in late and I guess people just weren’t there yet.”

However, Georgia has a two-year legislative system, and the earliest Georgia voters can go to the ballot is November 2026. Therefore, the bill not getting approval this year may not alter the timeline of getting sports betting legalized in November 2026 if lawmakers support sports betting next year.