Bottoms Proposes Casino Revenue to Fund Georgia Pre-K

Keisha Lance Bottoms proposed using revenue from authorized casino gambling to expand access to early childhood education in Georgia, estimating the state could collect up to $300 million a year. The former Atlanta mayor called the potential funds a “game changer” for the state’s education system while campaigning before the May 19 primary.

Bottoms said the money would be used to increase enrollment in pre-K and other early learning programs across the state. She told supporters that Georgia ranks highly for business but performs worse on education measures, quoting that the state is “number one in business in the country, but in the bottom half in education.”

The proposal was presented as part of Bottoms’ Democratic primary campaign. Early voting in the primary is scheduled to begin in the weeks before May 19. Bottoms is considered a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination.

Other Democrats in the race have emphasized education, health care and the economy. One state senator has invested in television advertising. A former Republican lieutenant governor running as a Democrat has criticized recent state legislation he says would create obstacles for labor.

Republican primary candidates have focused on taxes, job growth and public safety. Several Republicans, including the lieutenant governor and a businessman, have spent heavily on television advertising and campaign events, often promoting business and manufacturing initiatives as means to create jobs.

Legalizing casinos or sports betting in Georgia is not possible before 2028 under current rules. A resolution that would have let voters decide on expanded gambling failed in the state House earlier this year. Because constitutional amendments in Georgia can appear on ballots only in even-numbered years, any voter-approved change is unlikely to reach the ballot before 2028. Even if approved by voters, new casino or sportsbook operations would not be expected to open before 2029.

Bottoms’ $300 million estimate assumes the state authorizes casino gambling and directs those revenues specifically to early childhood programs. Several state lawmakers have said they would back legalization if a ballot measure required proceeds to be allocated to areas such as education.

The proposal raises practical questions for lawmakers and regulators. Officials would need to decide how revenue is collected, what share of proceeds would be guaranteed for education, whether to create a dedicated trust or a formula for appropriations, and how licensing and oversight would work. Local and state leaders would also need to consider measures addressing potential social impacts and responsible-gambling programs.

Bottoms presented the plan as a funding source to expand pre-K and early learning services and tied it to goals of improving long-term educational outcomes and workforce readiness. Her campaign has made education funding a central theme as the primary approaches.