I will be honest, I’m conflicted over sports betting in Georgia. Let me backup a bit, my grandfather played the horses for a living. He followed them from Saratoga to Belmont. He married late, spent his own money and then settled down to run a butcher shop in Jersey City, New Jersey. I learned to play penny ante poker and blackjack from my Dad. I know a lot of people say this wild upbringing doesn’t square with my Christian conservative views and I’d say they are right. I can argue both sides of this issue and I did with Rep. Marcus Weidower. Zack Loggins, a fellow Rotarian, got to chime in on this issue also. He did a terrific job today.
But Marcus won me over. Sports betting is going on all over the country. If the money is being spent, then why not let the state get a piece of it. I think we’ve shown—after a few bumps in the road—that we manage the Georgia Lottery money well and it’s time to expand it to sport betting. So pass the bill in the House and let’s get this referendum to the voters in November.
Years ago, I worked with Harry Geisinger to bring horse racing to Georgia. So maybe that’s next. Just call me a conflicted conservative on many fronts but let the people of Georgia vote on sports betting.
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