There is an issue in the Republican Gubernatorial Primary in Georgia which has been strangely silent, especially among groups which normally speak out loudly against it – gambling. Where are the Georgia Baptists? Where are the scorecards that compare candidates and their positions?
Two candidates are in the Republican Primary – one, Burt Jones, is actively supporting the expansion of gambling in Georgia and it is a part of his platform. The other, Rick Jackson, has made no policy position or statements on the expansion of gambling, choosing instead to focus on crime, freezing property taxes, cutting income taxes, and building on Georgia’s business friendly environment to bring positive investment that creates productivity and jobs.
The lack of moral clarity and warning on this issue is a warning sign for our religious leaders who, in the past, have taken a clear, unmistakable public stand. One can only guess why this silence.
This is especially troublesome in light of the fact that one candidate, Burt Jones, has a record of actively endorsing, supporting, and advocating for on-line sports betting in Georgia. In 2024, he engineered SB 386 to a 2/3 Senate passage. He followed that up with a public statement from the Lt. Governor’s office:
“I was proud of the bi-partisan effort in the Senate today. We are one step closer to providing tens of millions of dollars to education funding for the next generations of Georgia. I look forward to continued discussions to get this done.” (Press Release from the Office of Lt. Governor Burt Jones February 1, 2024)
Without fail, the reason for supporting legalized gambling is, education and “for the children.” The added inflow of revenue is only one side of the equation. The other side is the societal costs that takes money away from children and adults alike.
There is no doubt that gambling is an addictive behavior. It is so addictive that it can destroy a family, cost jobs, lead to bankruptcies, mental health issues, and increased crime, both white collar and violent crime. Proof of this is found in the fact that every legislative action to expand gambling includes a set-aside to fund programs to help gambling addicts.
The social costs of gambling outweigh any projected revenue. The problem is that the social costs is spread out over numerous areas while proponents only look at direct costs of crime, law enforcement, financial counseling and treatment.
A Social Science and Medicine 2025 study reviewed 26 studies of the impact of gambling on society. Indirect costs include health care, unemployment, and divorce-related costs. Intangible costs include suicide, emotional distress, and relationship breakdowns.
The study determined that the total costs of the impact of gambling ranged from 6 million to 324 billion international dollars depending on the methodology of the study. Average cost of gambling $3,980 per adult with a median cost of $449 per adult.
A 2024 study showed that gambling harm is not evenly distributed through society. It disproportionately affects low-income households, youth, ethnic minorities, homeless individuals, and people with mental health or substance abuse issues.
An older study in Springer.Com documented the link between problem gambling and criminal activity especially fraud, theft, and embezzlement. If one honestly examines the impact of gambling, there is no positive good for society.
The only good that some would call positive is the increase in revenue to the government. In my years of experience, more revenue is not the answer. Government is like a monster with an insatiable appetite and feeding it more money only increases its demand for more.
Ronald Regan is famously reported to have said, “Government is like a baby: an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.”
Gambling expansion is not harmless. It is not compassionate. It is not conservative. It is a predatory system that targets the poor, destabilizes families, and grows government at the expense of the people.
Georgia deserves better than silence. Georgia deserves honesty. And Georgia deserves leaders who will protect its families rather than profit from their losses.
The matter of increased gambling is a key and critical issue in this governor’s race. It is perfectly appropriate to compare the two:
Burt Jones and the gambling lobby want to expand the gambling footprint in Georgia even while knowing that in doing so, there are serious and costly consequence to our state. Jones is supported financially by the gambling lobby and will take an active role to lobby for an expansion of gambling.
Rick Jackson is not supported by the gambling lobby and has taken no position on gambling. His focus has been on crime, freezing property taxes, cutting income taxes, and building on Georgia’s business friendly environment to bring positive investment that creates productivity and jobs.
I conclude with two points. One, our spiritual leaders are falling down on the job by remaining uncomfortably silent on this issue. They need to clearly show the differences and the consequences of one’s vote.
Second, and closely related is that Rick Jackson is the candidate who has not focused on gambling, has not been supported by the gambling lobbyists, and will not be advocating to expand gambling across Georgia. My vote is against gambling expansion and for Rick Jackson.
