Georgia is a country located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and West Asia. Even though it’s really close to the muslin world, the approach to gambling is markedly different than those of muslim countries (gambling is banned in most of the muslin countries). Gambling and online gambling are legal in Georgia. In fact, gambling is booming the country.
Gross revenues before taxes generated by Georgia’s gambling industry reached €5bn, and equivalent to one third of the country’s GDP in 2018, more than double the sum recorded the year before, and more than triple the amount in 2014. This is the fastest growing gambling market in the region, and consequently also the one that was worse hit by the COVID 19 outbreak resulting in many closures, massive unemployment and government deficit. The number of casinos is also on the rise, and before the COVID 19 closures there were 13 casinos in the country. 5 in Tbilisi the capital, 6 in Batumi and 2 in the countryside. Interestingly it’s not the capital that has the most casinos, Batumi a.k.a. “the Las Vegas of the Black Sea” is the seaside, casino resort town of the country.
The law governing gambling and online gambling in Georgia is the Law of Georgia on Organising Lotteries, Games of Chance and Other Prize Games No 5448 of 9 December 2011*. This governs all forms of gambling and online gambling. The Ministry of Finance of Georgia is responsible of licensing and overseeing, controlling the casinos in the country.
Even though gambling is booming the country’s population is only 3 700 000, therefore the casinos rely heavily on tourism and most of them have their own hotel, restaurant, spa and other amenities to boost the number of visitors. There are only 2 casinos outside of Batumi and Tbilisi (90% of tourists stay in those two and never visit the countryside). Georgia is considered to be the favourite gambling destination from nearby muslin majority countries, because in most of them gambling is illegal or heavily regulated with crushing taxes and barely any gambling establishments.
Gambling wasn’t always thriving in Georgia. Even though the first casino opened in Tbilisi in 1920, it quickly closed. The country came under the rule of Soviet Russia in 1921 and up till 1991 it was part of the infamous USSR. And in the Soviet Union gambling was illegal and outlawed (despite this, in 1989 laws relaxed, and a casino opened in Batumi catering to communist party elites, that’s where Batumi’s image as a casino town comes from actually, it’s where communist party officials gambled). But ever since the regime change, gambling is one of the fastest growing sectors of the country. And now, lately, online gambling is on the rise too. The revenue report of Georgian casinos in 2014 found that almost 70% of the gambling revenue was generated by online gambling activities. And luckily, due to favourable online gambling laws and regulation, Georgia is taking advantage of this trend too.
Georgia gambling tax
In Georgia gambling taxes (to encourage the growth of the sector) are really low. And to facilitate tourism, uniquely in the region, casinos in the countryside, in the remote locations are exempt from paying gambling taxes if they also build and operate a hotel with at least 80 rooms.
Casinos and online casinos pay 10% gambling tax (of total gambling revenue) on top of all the other regular taxes.** Which is a really low gambling tax compered to neighboring countries, no wonder the gambling sector is doing so well.
Gambling license in Georgia
Gambling officially belongs to the entertainment industry and it is meant to encourage the development of the tourism industry, according to the official stance of the government. The local authorities support tourism and facilitate the development of the gambling industry because of this. Gambling licenses are issued by the Revenue Service (part of the Ministry of Finance). You have to file an electronic application. The permit to conduct a gambling business is also issued in a digital form.
The fees usually range between 50,000 to 1 million GEL ($20,000 to $400,000), you have to pay the most in Tbilisi and in the countryside it’s 50,000 GEL.
Gambling in Georgia is legal and regulated by the government.There are 12 brick-and-mortar casinos operating throughout the country offering the most popular casino games like roulette, poker, or blackjack to name a few. In total there are 92 gambling companies operating in the country***. Georgian law states that all gambling providers have to acquire proper licenses to operate. Online gambling is legal and regulated in Georgia too. Online gambling operators require a license to accept players from Georgia. Despite the small market, Adjarabet, one of the most popular casinos in Georgia, is the No. 1 most visited website in the country, with over 4.5 million unique visits per month. Judging by the fact that Georgia’s population is just 3.6 million, it’s safe to say that at least ⅓ of that traffic comes from foreign players.
Some international gambling websites accept players from Georgia (see below) and due to favourable online gambling laws and taxes there are many local online casinos as well.
*Source: Law of Georgia No 5448 of 9 December 2011 – website, 22.12.2011
**Source: Georgia iGaming
***Source: Calvinayre.com Why the Republic of Georgia is a gambling refuge for Middle Eastern players
Online casinos accepting players from Georgia
The following online gambling websites accept players from Georgia:
Black Lotus Casino
- Get 200% match bonus, up to $600. Use the code: WELCOME600
- +$30 bonus. Use code: WINBLACK
Bonuses for existing players:
- 32 Free Spins on Sweet Success Code: CHEER1
- 32 Free Spins on Nordic Wild Code: CHEER2
- 32 Free Spins on Cosmopolitan Code: CHEER3
- 32 Free Spins on 7 Chakras Code: CHEER4
- 32 Free Spins on Le Chocolatier Code: CHEER5
- 32 Free Spins on Fairy Dust Forest Code: CHEER6
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
- Playthrough requirement: 40-60x for match bonuses and usually 60x for free spins and other bonuses, depends on the bonus check the casino's web page for the specific, up to date, current playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Wagering limitation:
- 100% - Slots and Keno
- 50% - Roulette and Three Card Poker
- 25% - Baccarat
- 10% - Video Poker
- 5% - Blackjack, Craps
- 0% - Everything else
BGO
- 500 free spins
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: 65x
Wagering limitation:
- Slots: 100%
- Roulette: 25%
- All Blackjack Games: 25%
- 3 Card Brag: 50%
- Casino Hold'em: 25%
- Baccarat: 0%
- Everything else: 0%
Bet Online Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to $1,000 on your first three deposits! Use the code BOLCASINO
- 100% welcome match bonus up to 100% on your first deposit using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin or DASH. No code required.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: • Slot Games (progressive jackpot slots excluded) 100% • Roulette (All versions), Draw High-Lo, 3 Card Rummy 20% • Baccarat, Blackjack (American & European), Poker 3, Oasis Poker, Single Deck Blackjack, Triple Edge Poker, Caribbean Poker, Three Card Poker, Video Poker 10% • Pirate 21, Blackjack Super 7, Pai Gow, 21 Burn, Ride’m Poker, All forms of Keno, Red Dog, Pontoon, Top Card Trumps 5% • Craps, Live Casino, All Games with Progressive Jackpots, Virtual Racebook. Speciality games ie Keno’s and Scratcher game offered by Betsoft 0%
Wagering limitation:
- Any action on Baccarat, Roulette and Craps will not count towards the wagering requirement.
Summary:
- Casino gambling in Georgia
- Bingo in Georgia
- Poker in Georgia
- Sports betting in Georgia
- Lottery in Georgia
- Bitcoin gambling in Georgia
Casino gambling in Georgia
Online casino gambling in Georgia: legal, operator must have a license
Land-based gambling is completely legal in Georgia. Those who want to operate a land-based gambling business have to acquire proper licenses. There are 13 such licensed casinos right now in the country.
- There are 5 casinos in Tbilisi, these are: Shangri La, Casino Adjara, Casino Iveria, Casino Ambassadori, Jewel Casino, Biltmore Hotel
- There are 6 casinos in Batumi: Iveria (Radisson Blu Batumi), Sheraton Casino, Intourist Palace Casino, Golden Palace Casino, Casino International, JRW Welmond Hotel & Casino
- And in the countryside there are only two: Rooms Hotel and Casino in Kazbegi and Ambassadori Hotel and Casino in Kachreti
Online casinos are also legal in Georgia and these also offer the most popular casino games players usually look for (e.g.: poker, blackjack, roulette, slot machines). Not everything can be played online so dice games where you throw the dice are still casinos only. There are 92 gambling companies registered in the country and many of them have online platforms as well, so players can enjoy their favorite games from the comfort of their homes on licensed websites.
The following online casinos below accept players from Georgia.
The following online casino websites accept players from Georgia:
Black Lotus Casino
- Get 200% match bonus, up to $600. Use the code: WELCOME600
- +$30 bonus. Use code: WINBLACK
Bonuses for existing players:
- 32 Free Spins on Sweet Success Code: CHEER1
- 32 Free Spins on Nordic Wild Code: CHEER2
- 32 Free Spins on Cosmopolitan Code: CHEER3
- 32 Free Spins on 7 Chakras Code: CHEER4
- 32 Free Spins on Le Chocolatier Code: CHEER5
- 32 Free Spins on Fairy Dust Forest Code: CHEER6
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
- Playthrough requirement: 40-60x for match bonuses and usually 60x for free spins and other bonuses, depends on the bonus check the casino's web page for the specific, up to date, current playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Wagering limitation:
- 100% - Slots and Keno
- 50% - Roulette and Three Card Poker
- 25% - Baccarat
- 10% - Video Poker
- 5% - Blackjack, Craps
- 0% - Everything else
BGO
- 500 free spins
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: 65x
Wagering limitation:
- Slots: 100%
- Roulette: 25%
- All Blackjack Games: 25%
- 3 Card Brag: 50%
- Casino Hold'em: 25%
- Baccarat: 0%
- Everything else: 0%
Bet Online Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to $1,000 on your first three deposits! Use the code BOLCASINO
- 100% welcome match bonus up to 100% on your first deposit using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin or DASH. No code required.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: • Slot Games (progressive jackpot slots excluded) 100% • Roulette (All versions), Draw High-Lo, 3 Card Rummy 20% • Baccarat, Blackjack (American & European), Poker 3, Oasis Poker, Single Deck Blackjack, Triple Edge Poker, Caribbean Poker, Three Card Poker, Video Poker 10% • Pirate 21, Blackjack Super 7, Pai Gow, 21 Burn, Ride’m Poker, All forms of Keno, Red Dog, Pontoon, Top Card Trumps 5% • Craps, Live Casino, All Games with Progressive Jackpots, Virtual Racebook. Speciality games ie Keno’s and Scratcher game offered by Betsoft 0%
Wagering limitation:
- Any action on Baccarat, Roulette and Craps will not count towards the wagering requirement.
Click here for more info on casinos in Georgia.
Bingo in Georgia
Online bingo in Georgia: legal, operator must have a license
Bingo is somewhat popular in Georgia. There are bingo halls in the country where players can enjoy this game. Online gambling is legal in Georgia so players can enjoy bingo online as well. However, because o the small market only few online bingo sites accept players from the country. In fact I could only find one online casinos that has live bingo and accepts players from Georgia:
BGO
- 500 free spins
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: 65x
Wagering limitation:
- Slots: 100%
- Roulette: 25%
- All Blackjack Games: 25%
- 3 Card Brag: 50%
- Casino Hold'em: 25%
- Baccarat: 0%
- Everything else: 0%
Poker in Georgia
Online poker in Georgia: legal, operator must have a license
Poker is a popular game in Georgia available in all of the 12 casinos (in some cash games are not available constantly only during tournaments or the weekends) so players can enjoy this popular card game in Georgia as well. Online poker is also legal in the country, and the online poker sites below accept players from Georgia.
The following online casinos have a poker section and accept players from Georgia.
Bet Online Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to $1,000 on your first three deposits! Use the code BOLCASINO
- 100% welcome match bonus up to 100% on your first deposit using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin or DASH. No code required.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: • Slot Games (progressive jackpot slots excluded) 100% • Roulette (All versions), Draw High-Lo, 3 Card Rummy 20% • Baccarat, Blackjack (American & European), Poker 3, Oasis Poker, Single Deck Blackjack, Triple Edge Poker, Caribbean Poker, Three Card Poker, Video Poker 10% • Pirate 21, Blackjack Super 7, Pai Gow, 21 Burn, Ride’m Poker, All forms of Keno, Red Dog, Pontoon, Top Card Trumps 5% • Craps, Live Casino, All Games with Progressive Jackpots, Virtual Racebook. Speciality games ie Keno’s and Scratcher game offered by Betsoft 0%
Wagering limitation:
- Any action on Baccarat, Roulette and Craps will not count towards the wagering requirement.
Sports betting in Georgia
Online sports betting in Georgia: legal, operator must have a license
Sports betting is second most popular form of betting out there (after lottery). Sports betting is quite popular in Georgia too and there are numerous land-based bookmakers operating in the country where players can bet on their favorite sports. Online sports betting is also legal, players can visit online bookmakers if they want to place bets from the comfort of their homes.
The online sportsbooks below accept registrations from Georgia.
The following online casinos have sportsbooks and accept bettors from Georgia:
Bet Online Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to $1,000 on your first three deposits! Use the code BOLCASINO
- 100% welcome match bonus up to 100% on your first deposit using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin or DASH. No code required.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: • Slot Games (progressive jackpot slots excluded) 100% • Roulette (All versions), Draw High-Lo, 3 Card Rummy 20% • Baccarat, Blackjack (American & European), Poker 3, Oasis Poker, Single Deck Blackjack, Triple Edge Poker, Caribbean Poker, Three Card Poker, Video Poker 10% • Pirate 21, Blackjack Super 7, Pai Gow, 21 Burn, Ride’m Poker, All forms of Keno, Red Dog, Pontoon, Top Card Trumps 5% • Craps, Live Casino, All Games with Progressive Jackpots, Virtual Racebook. Speciality games ie Keno’s and Scratcher game offered by Betsoft 0%
Wagering limitation:
- Any action on Baccarat, Roulette and Craps will not count towards the wagering requirement.
And also this website, this casino has virtual sports betting, which is simulated sports betting, quite interesting, really entertaining, but it’s not genuine real sports betting, it’s computer simulation:
BGO
- 500 free spins
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: 65x
Wagering limitation:
- Slots: 100%
- Roulette: 25%
- All Blackjack Games: 25%
- 3 Card Brag: 50%
- Casino Hold'em: 25%
- Baccarat: 0%
- Everything else: 0%
Lottery in Georgia
Online lottery in Georgia: legal, operator must have a license
The lottery is the most popular game of chance in the world, including Georgia. It is safe to say that where gambling is legal there is a national lottery. It is no different in Georgia either. Georgia’s lotteries are controlled by the Georgian Lottery Company which received an exclusive license in 2009 for 15 years (it will be renewed probably). The company offers many kinds of games, like Toto, Lotto 6/36, and also sports betting. As of now, the Georgian Lottery Company does not sell lottery tickets online.
The following websites let people from Georgia purchase lottery tickets online:
Georgian Lottery Company, it’s a monopoly within the country, but if you are abroad you can freely purchase lottery tickets from other countries and from the websites of other online lottery platforms licensed in other countries.
The following online lottery platform lets Georgians buy lottery tickets online (they have US Powerball too, has the highest jackpots in the world usually):
Bitcoin gambling in Georgia
Bitcoin gambling in Georgia: not specifically regulated
As of now, there aren’t any specific laws in Georgia concerning Bitcoin gambling. Bitcoin trades mostly occur on the internet due to the currency’s digital nature so Bitcoin gambling counts as a form of online gambling. Online gambling licenses in Georgia specify allowed activities and requirements but do not specify the type of currencies an establishment can accept. It is safe to assume Bitcoin gambling operators have to acquire proper licenses to operate in Georgia just like any other online gambling company.None of the licensed online casinos or land based casinos in Georgia currently accept bitcoin or any other form of cryptocurrency.
The bitcoin casinos below accept players from Georgia.
The following online casino websites accept players from Georgia and bitcoin:
Black Lotus Casino
- Get 200% match bonus, up to $600. Use the code: WELCOME600
- +$30 bonus. Use code: WINBLACK
Bonuses for existing players:
- 32 Free Spins on Sweet Success Code: CHEER1
- 32 Free Spins on Nordic Wild Code: CHEER2
- 32 Free Spins on Cosmopolitan Code: CHEER3
- 32 Free Spins on 7 Chakras Code: CHEER4
- 32 Free Spins on Le Chocolatier Code: CHEER5
- 32 Free Spins on Fairy Dust Forest Code: CHEER6
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
- Playthrough requirement: 40-60x for match bonuses and usually 60x for free spins and other bonuses, depends on the bonus check the casino's web page for the specific, up to date, current playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Wagering limitation:
- 100% - Slots and Keno
- 50% - Roulette and Three Card Poker
- 25% - Baccarat
- 10% - Video Poker
- 5% - Blackjack, Craps
- 0% - Everything else
Bet Online Casino and Sports Book
- Welcome bonus, 100% up to $1,000 on your first three deposits! Use the code BOLCASINO
- 100% welcome match bonus up to 100% on your first deposit using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin or DASH. No code required.
Playthrough requirements and wagering limitations
Playthrough requirement: • Slot Games (progressive jackpot slots excluded) 100% • Roulette (All versions), Draw High-Lo, 3 Card Rummy 20% • Baccarat, Blackjack (American & European), Poker 3, Oasis Poker, Single Deck Blackjack, Triple Edge Poker, Caribbean Poker, Three Card Poker, Video Poker 10% • Pirate 21, Blackjack Super 7, Pai Gow, 21 Burn, Ride’m Poker, All forms of Keno, Red Dog, Pontoon, Top Card Trumps 5% • Craps, Live Casino, All Games with Progressive Jackpots, Virtual Racebook. Speciality games ie Keno’s and Scratcher game offered by Betsoft 0%
Wagering limitation:
- Any action on Baccarat, Roulette and Craps will not count towards the wagering requirement.
If you have questions or any feedback don’t hesitate to drop a comment below. Please let me know in the comments section if you think we might have gotten something wrong or if you have additional information, clarification about the legal status of online gambling in this country, especially if you are from Georgia or nearby.
This page is part of Simon’s List – Legal Status of Online Gambling – a definitive guide to the legal status of all forms of online gambling activities in every country around the world.
Last updated: 2020-12-30
Gamble responsibly,
SimonTheSorcerer
