The expansion of a fantasy sports headquarters in midtown Atlanta was hailed this month by Gov. Brian Kemp as evidence of the industry’s role in the state’s booming technology innovation.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Dec. 12 in the unfinished office space where the Republican governor, local and state officials, and PrizePicks executives met inside the future headquarters of a growing brand that expects to hire 1,000 new employees within the next seven years.
Sports gambling supporters have been trying to persuade lawmakers to legalize sports gambling in Georgia by arguing the revenue could be used to fund college scholarships and other programs.
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that prohibited sports betting in most of the country, allowing states to regulate mobile sportsbooks. Despite legal uncertainty, the mobile sports industry has exploded across the country, with PrizePicks offering users more than 30 fantasy sports categories to wager on.
A bill sponsored by Athens Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert would have put sports betting on the ballot this fall. Cowsert’s measure cleared the Senate but failed to pass in the House, marking yet another setback after numerous versions of sports betting legislation have failed to pass both chambers in recent years.