PrizePicks will expand its operations in Atlanta, hiring an additional 1,000 employees over seven years, the fantasy sports company announced Thursday.

It plans to lease an office building northwest of downtown for its new headquarters, investing $25 million, the company said.

The company is hiring software engineers, analysts, marketers and other positions. PrizePicks didn't say how much employees will be paid, but co-founder and CEO Adam Wexler described them as "high-skilled and high-wage."

The company, which was founded in Atlanta, currently has more than 500 full-time and 160-part time employees. Some employees are in the Philippines.

"Atlanta has always been our home, where we are redefining mobile sports entertainment," Wexler said.

Sports betting remains illegal in Georgia after legislation to allow it again failed this year. However, PrizePicks and other fantasy sports websites operate in the state, saying they offer games of skill, not chance. Players seek cash prizes by picking athletes and earning points based on how those athletes perform. The company, which says it has more than 5 million registered users, lets players seek prizes not only on contests in major American sports leagues, but even on cornhole.

"Georgia has a long history of legalized skill games operating in the state and PrizePicks is a nationally recognized game of skill," said PrizePicks spokesperson Elisa Richardson.

Civic leaders welcomed the news, saying that it proves Atlanta's universities provide talent to employers who need technical skills, and that the city offers a high quality of life and global connections through its airport.

"Georgia continues to be a driver of tech growth and innovation, attracting innovative companies with its unique mix of talent and infrastructure," Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, said in a statement.

State and local officials did not disclose what incentives they offered to PrizePicks. The company could qualify for $8.75 million in state income tax credits, at $1,750 per job over five years, as long as workers make at least $31,300 a year.

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