Waites: Allow voters to decide on poker rooms

ATLANTA — State Rep. Keisha Waites, D-Atlanta, has filed legislation that would allow voters to decide on the legalization of poker rooms in select entertainment districts in Georgia.

House Resolution 5 is known as the “Casino Poker Room” bill.

“Billions of dollars are leaving the State of Georgia and flowing into Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama as a result of casino gambling,” Waites said in a statement. “That is money that could be coming into the state of Georgia. With approval from the voters, poker rooms could be the first of many steps toward gaming in our state. This bill has the potential to generate tax revenue for schools, scholarships, create jobs, and spur tourism and economic development. House Resolution 5 is a jobs generator with the potential to create thousands of jobs in Georgia through construction and operations.”