Casino supporters thought last year that dedicating a portion of any gaming revenue to a needs-based scholarship would lure enough Democratic support to get a bill through.

Stephens said, if he is re-elected, he plans to bring the legislation back next year — this time proposing to dedicate funds to rural Georgia.

“Dedicating some of that money to get our rural hospitals back afoot should pique the interests of some of our representatives in our rural areas,” Stephens said.

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled 6-3 against the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The law, enacted in 1992, barred state-authorized sports gambling in all but the four states where the activity already was legal — Delaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon.

A measure to regulate daily online fantasy sports programs caught a brief second wind before sputtering out at the end of Georgia’s legislative session this year.

Backers say high court ruling could help bring casinos to georgia Dedicating some of that money

Georgians already participate in daily fantasy sports, but lawmakers have sought to regulate the activity to tax the businesses and ensure gaming companies are paying out winnings. Nineteen states have passed similar measures.

The bill made it to the Senate floor before members put the proposal on hold on the last day of the legislative session — the same thing that happened to the legislation the year before.

Daily fantasy sports supporters have maintained that the activity is not gambling, but a game of skill, and they believe the court’s ruling shouldn’t have an impact on their efforts either way. Opponents say the games are a way to further legalize gambling in Georgia.

The American Gaming Association, a trade association that represents the casino industry, estimates about $150 billion is wagered in illegal sports betting each year.

The ruling, in a case from New Jersey, creates an opening to bring an activity out of the shadows that many Americans already see as a mainstream hobby. A research firm estimated before the ruling that if the Supreme Court were to strike down the law, 32 states would likely offer sports betting within five years.

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Backers say high court ruling could help bring casinos to georgia maintained that the activity is

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Backers say high court ruling could help bring casinos to georgia
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