Senate Bill 57, the proposed legislation allowing legal sports betting in Georgia, has moved quickly through the Georgia Senate. Along with online sports betting, the text provides for retail sports betting kiosks.
Ohio, which launched sports betting Jan. 1, serves as a useful case study for retail kiosks and what Georgians may anticipate should SB 57 clear both chambers and receive Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature.
Related: SB 57: A Primer on the Constitutional Workaround
Ohio’s sports betting kiosk market
Ohio legalized sports betting with the passage of House Bill 29, which received Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature in December 2021. With a full year for the state to prepare, Ohioans were able to place sports bets Jan. 1 through retail and online sportsbooks. Retail sportsbooks included 7 Type C licenses for kiosk proprietors, or companies that provide kiosk machines and software to host businesses. These hosts can be any for-profit business throughout the state that:
- Holds a valid liquor license
- Is an Ohio Lottery retailer
- Pays a licensing fee
Ohio allows the following types of wagers on retail betting kiosks:
- Spread wagers
- Over-under bets
- Moneyline wagers
- Parlays
An added caveat is that any bettor in Ohio can only wager $700 per week at any of its sports betting kiosks.
In Ohio, winnings can be collected from participating kiosk hosts, Ohio Lottery offices or online.
A template for Georgia sports betting?
Like Georgia’s SB 57, Ohio utilizes the state lottery system as the operational conduit to legalize sports betting. As such, it serves as a meaningful template for what could be coming to Georgia sports betting. A hearing last week earmarked sports betting kiosks as a point of discussion, and it appears to follow Ohio’s lead: a limited number of licenses costing a one-time $10,000 application fee and a $100,000 annual renewal fee issued to vendors that hold valid liquor licenses – think bars, restaurants, lounges and airports.
Yes, airports. Hartsfield-Jackson soon could house sports betting kiosks. There are worse ways to burn some time than with an Atlanta Hawks moneyline wager during your flight delay.
Along with a liquor license, kiosk hosts would also need to hold a Class B machine license, the license coin operated amusement machines operators and lottery ticket resalers hold. With these two licenses, a wide range of kiosk host venues could serve all corners of the state.
Once again, though, Georgians should remember that sports betting kiosks provide limited betting options.
One place where retail kiosks have not made advances is in what SB 57 calls “Type 2 sports wagers,” or, more commonly, in-game bets. Georgians will want to pay attention to whether a Georgia retail kiosk market would include in-game betting, which accounted for roughly half of all US betting revenue in 2022.
All eyes on the General Assembly
Several bills are making their way through the 2023 General Assembly, but SB 57 has garnered the most attention due to its interpretation of the Georgia State Constitution. Clearing committee last week, the entire Senate should now have the opportunity to vote on the legislation once scheduled.
