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The question of legalizing gambling is taking center stage for many legislators and creating a new political debate to sort through. Georgia is another state that is taking on the issue full steam. Attorney General and Gubernatorial candidate Thurbert Baker would like to see gambling brought to the state’s budget. His hope is that gambling will fund the state’s education program for the coming years. Since the recession Georgia, like other states in the US, has found itself hampered financially by troubles due to the recession. Many programs have no option but to be cut if the state cannot find ways to bring in added revenue to sustain them.

Baker is just one of the legislators who is opting for bringing in casino gambling as a money-generating activity, rather than see huge education cuts in the budget, His main goal is to take the revenue from gambling and fuel it directly into the state’s education fund. He is currently estimating that over the next ten years gambling could bring in well over $2 billion in tax-revenue dollars. Much of Baker’s platform is dependent on the public perception of gaming and using it as a way to fuel the budget further in coming years. It may be difficult for people to say no to the huge estimate and naysayers are already accusing the Attorney General of gross exaggerations when it comes to the estimated revenue stream of gambling’s legalization in the state. They believe that the numbers will be much lower, and that they will be not as stable as reported by those who want to pass legislation for gaming.

The primary election in Georgia is July 20 and if Baker is going to make gambling a major issue in his platform, he needs to get the word out quickly. Voters are already forming preconceived notions of the issue and seeing this is Baker’s main focus in all his press, they may have already discounted him from the race. Right now Roy Barnes, the favorite candidate to win, is already winning votes by citing his decision to keep the issue in the hands of the people.

Georgia’s “Special Equine Study Committee” voted this morning to include a referendum for voters to decide on legalizing horse racing in the state. It would also, in turn, legalize gambling on those races. As of this time, thirty-two states have at least one horse racing track and many have off-track betting parlors. Georgia is looking to capitalize on the gambling issue by allowing it into the state’s legislature.

The debate over legalizing gambling is raging in the US. States, one by one, are working to come up with legislation that legalizes and regulates gambling for the purpose of the huge tax revenue dollars available.  The recession wreaked havoc on economies and left states with the difficult task of overcoming huge deficits. Each state has a long list of projects it is trying to fund, with no reasonable way of funding it.  For this reason, almost every state is looking to the billions of dollars in gambling and looking for citizen support in terms of finding laws to bring it into the mix.  Of course there are proponents who believe that increasing casinos, race tracks and other gambling locations will create jobs and bring in money to the economy.  On the other hand there are critics who believe that increased and legalization of gambling will surely bring in other corrupt activities and crime to the areas. They also worry that making gambling legal will inevitably increase the number of addictions.

Overall, legislators are looking to push for gambling’s legalization and regulation. Though there are societal concerns such as addiction and crime, many believe that the amount of money available is too much to deny.  They believe that if the proper safeguards are built into the system it can work and not jeopardize American citizens.  Only time will tell if the plan works, but due to the huge tax dollars potentially available, most states and legislators will put their best efforts into legalizing and regulating gambling.  As of the latest poles in Georgia, the decision was split at about 50/50. It may come down to which side has the most advertising dollars to sway the voting public.