A proposed casino at the Macon Mall remains uncertain as Georgia law currently prohibits commercial gambling, leaving the $20 million deal contingent on voters approving a constitutional amendment.
Gaming and Leisure Properties has secured an option to purchase the former JCPenney building at the mall. However, the project hinges on passage of Senate Resolution 131, which would amend Georgia’s Constitution to allow commercial gambling for the first time.
“Very premature,” said Dr. Greg George, director of the Center for Economic Analysis at Middle Georgia State University. “There’s a lot of things that you have to kind of work through with something like this.”
Benjamin Hoyt, a political science professor, noted the shifting landscape of gambling in America has made such proposals more common.
