Sports betting advocates have accounted for nearly half of the $25 million spent by independent political committees on this year’s elections in Georgia, United States—a number that has already surpassed the total spent on the 2022 U.S. midterms.
Win for America, funded by betting giants like DraftKings and FanDuel, has funded two Georgia political committees, one of which supports Republicans while the other supports Democrats.
American Conservative Fund Action Georgia, the Republican committee that Win for America funded, has spent $8.5 million backing legislative candidates so far in 2026, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Meanwhile, the Democratic group known as American Future has spent $3.4 million similarly.
Georgia Hasn’t Legalized Sports Betting
This battle has sparked because Georgia is one of the largest U.S. states to not have legalized sports betting. That’s not through a lack of trying, but rather due to bipartisan opposition from lawmakers citing social impacts and concerns around regulation.
State law limits the contributions candidates can receive for public office, currently capped at $8,400 for primary or general elections and an additional $4,800 for runoff elections. However, independent committees can raise unlimited amounts to support or oppose candidates, as long as they don’t coordinate directly with those candidates.
Win for America operates as a federally registered Super PAC—a type of political committee that isn’t limited on how much it can raise or spend—but because the Georgia General Assembly races fall outside of the FEC’s jurisdiction, its money must funnel through a local committee. That’s where American Conservative Fund Action Georgia and American Future come in as committees registered under Georgia’s own campaign finance law rather than with federal regulators.
Money in Georgia Politics
Earlier this year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Win for America backed 34 legislative races in Georgia ahead of the primary, with all but two of those candidates winning. It came just weeks after a sports betting bill had been rejected by the House.
However, this surge of money coming into Georgia politics doesn’t align with voters’ wishes, according to one expert.
“If you’re asking voters, ‘what is your major concern,’ I doubt it’s sports betting,” political science professor at the University of Georgia, Charles Bullock, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Other Industries Also Funnel Money Into The State
It’s not just gambling groups routing money into Georgia politics, many other industries are doing the same.
Top spenders in this year’s elections include Conservatives for Strong Schools, Planned Parenthood Votes, and the Georgia Realtors IE Committee—totaling $2.2 million in funds.
On top of that, at least $19 million was spent by a dark-money group that targeted Lt. Gov. Burt Jones as he ran for governor this year. This sum isn’t included in the $25 million figure spent by political committees.
General Election Looms
Georgia’s general election is set for November 3, 2026, when voters will select a successor to Governor Brian Kemp, a U.S. senator, the entire state legislature, and other statewide offices.
Ironically, people are already wagering money on these races, with $600,000 worth of volume being processed on the prediction market Kalshi. Users on the platform currently place Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms in pole position, with a 60% chance of winning in November.
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Sports betting advocates have accounted for nearly half of the $25 million spent by independent political committees on this year’s elections in Georgia, United States—a number that has already surpassed the total spent on the 2022 U.S. midterms. Win for America, funded by betting giants like DraftKings and FanDuel, has funded two Georgia political committees,
The post Sports Betting Advocates Splash Cash on Georgia Elections appeared first on CasinoBeats.