Responsible gambling was the focus of a Thursday afternoon committee hearing in the Georgia Senate. Sen. Bill Cowsert hopes his legislation (SR 140 and SB 172), which would enable a constitutional amendment giving voters a choice to legalize sports betting in Georgia, can be a leader in the responsible betting space.

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Discussion on the legislation included a few comments from those with moral objections to gambling.

“One argument that I hear quite frequently in favor of this legislation is, ‘Well, it’s already happening in our state, so we might as well get the revenue from it,’” said Mack Parnell, executive director for the Georgia Faith and Freedom Coalition. “I would say there are a lot of things that are happening in our state, but that doesn’t mean the state should embrace it. … Fentanyl, for example: Just because that’s happening in our state and devastating communities doesn’t mean the state should embrace it.”