HAMPTON, Ga. — Echo Park Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, is proposing to build a massive resort complex that includes a casino in Hampton.
The proposed development at the speedway would feature a destination resort, convention center, amusement park and a casino.
However, the inclusion of a casino requires a constitutional amendment, which would need to be approved by Georgia lawmakers and voters.
“We have a plan to build a complete complex,” said Ed Clark, with Echo Park Speedway.
Clark emphasized the potential benefits of having a casino as the centerpiece of the development.
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Mike Griffin of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board is against the plan.
“When gambling increases, crime goes up, bankruptcies go up, addiction goes up, jobs go down, savings go down, and spending on basics go down,” Griffin said.
Echo Park Speedway hosts around 400 events annually, but the proposed development aims to expand its offerings significantly.
Clark testified before a new House study committee in Oconee County, advocating for the proposal to be put to a statewide vote.
The process to approve casino gambling in Georgia involves several steps: legislative approval for a constitutional amendment, a statewide voter referendum and approval by individual county voters.
The study committee will meet three more times before reporting its findings to the legislature in January.
The proposal for a casino at Echo Park Speedway is at the beginning stages, with significant legislative and public hurdles to overcome before it can become a reality.
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