Candidates Make Call As $1.89 Million in Sports Betting Spending Flows Into Georgia Democratic Primary Elections.

FULTON COUNTY, GA - Democratic State House candidates, Aaron Baker (District 51) and Jeremiah Olney (District 57), are calling on their opponents to reject and disavow support from sports betting corporations and political action committees, including the American Futures PAC, which is owned and funded by DraftKings, a major U.S. sports betting company headquartered in Boston.

The American Futures PAC has spent $1,894,274 in individual expenditures in the Georgia Democratic Primary across ten candidates. Among its largest expenditures, the PAC has spent $179,175 supporting Esther Panitch (District 51) and $143,331 supporting Stacey Evans (District 57).

Evans has also received direct contributions from gambling interests, including the Sports Betting Alliance, MGM Resorts, Caesars, Lucky Bucks, AKS Amusement, World Gaming, and Prizepicks, totaling more than $25,000 during her political career.

Olney stated, “How much longer are we going to continue selling our democracy to the highest bidder? It’s bad enough that corporations spend millions of dollars every year directly buying up politicians, but this is a dramatic new assault on Georgia’s elections. Predatory companies like DraftKings profit from the desperation of people in poverty by offering them a false glimmer of hope to escape it. Any elected official who benefits from their dark money has a responsibility to reject it, denounce it, and commit to supporting legislation which empowers everyday Georgians to decide our future, not the sports betting industry.”

Research has demonstrated that legal sports gambling disproportionately harms low-income and marginalized communities, draining savings and increasing the risk of bankruptcy and debt delinquency. A study conducted by Northwestern University economist Scott Baker and his colleagues found that for every $1 spent on betting, contributions to personal investment are reduced by $2. Additional research by UCLA economist Brett Hollenbeck and University of Southern California economists Poet Larsen and Davide Prosperio found that legalization of online sports gambling increases a household’s risk of bankruptcy by 25 to 30 percent, with the greatest financial harm falling on low-income families.

Baker stated, “Our democracy in Georgia is under attack from corporate gambling interests trying to influence our elections and block regulation and taxation of harmful products, and they have already spent nearly $200,000 supporting my opponent in this race. We must call on local leaders to reject dark money from industries that harm communities, as sports betting is linked to compulsive gambling, rising debt, and serious mental health risks, including suicide. Georgia’s future should be decided by its people, not by wealthy executives and corporate PACs protecting profits at our expense. When my opponent accepts this support, it raises serious questions about who she will serve under the Gold Dome, because every dollar spent by these groups is an investment they expect to recoup through legislation, and refusing to disavow this influence shows a troubling disregard for the constituents she has sworn to represent.”

Georgia remains one of only eleven states that have not legalized sports betting. However, lobbying and political spending from out-of-state corporations such as DraftKings have intensified pressure on lawmakers to pass sports betting legislation under the Gold Dome. During the 2026 legislative session, a key House vote to legalize sports betting was rejected 63-98. Baker and Olney have both maintained grassroots campaigns rejecting all corporate donations and have committed to voting against legislation that attempts to legalize predatory sports betting.

More information about Baker and Olney’s campaign and policies can be requested by emailing zeena@peachtide.org or calling (470)358-3990. Individual statements and photos from candidates are available upon request.