In its second reading, the Parliament of Georgia backed a bill granting casinos the right to host international tournaments.
The legislative initiative drew criticism from the Georgian Patriarchate, the Public Defender’s Office (Ombudsman), and the opposition.
Parliament is reviewing the amendments under an expedited procedure.
Under the draft law, if foreign nationals account for 80% or more of tournament participants (the threshold was set at 70% in the first reading version) and the prize pool exceeds 3 million GEL (over $1 million), the organizer will be exempt from paying the club table fee established by the Georgian Law “On Gambling Business Fees.”
“Think of it as a sports tournament. The list of participants is formed in advance,” stated Shota Berekashvili, a lawmaker from the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Hosting an international tournament will be permitted exclusively in compliance with predetermined rules and official regulations.
The bill stipulates that a violation of licensing terms by a permit holder organizing an international tournament carries a fine of 50,000 GEL, while organizing and/or hosting such a tournament without authorization is punishable by a 150,000 GEL fine.
Since 2022, the state has actively tightened regulations governing the gambling sector, news outlet Netgazeti notes. The minimum age requirement for players was raised from 21 to 25. Access to gambling was barred for socially vulnerable citizens and civil servants, and a blanket ban on advertising was imposed. In 2024–2025, the tax burden on the industry was raised further.
According to official data, while the pace of growth slowed following the restrictions, the sector’s total turnover still surged substantially—rising by 41 billion GEL, from 48 billion to 89 billion GEL.
