The Georgian Patriarchate has voiced criticism over tax breaks introduced for casinos. The corresponding statement was made by Andria Jagmaidze, head of the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Department. According to him, the expedited passage of the law left no time even to raise questions.
“The hasty adoption of this gambling law came as a surprise to us. We didn’t even have time to ask questions—developments unfolded so rapidly that the bill was passed in all three readings at once.
We deeply regret that we were unable to look into this issue thoroughly and understand it properly. The Catholicos-Patriarch was in the western part of the country during that period, but we definitely intend to discuss this with the authorities and hope that greater clarity will emerge on the matter,” Jagmaidze stated.
The head of the Patriarchate’s press service also touched upon the enforcement of existing regulations and harm reduction measures. According to him, the Patriarchate had previously been directly involved in developing the rules, a process in which discussions went on for four years.
“We are concerned that the current gambling situation in Georgia is already alarming as it is. It would be right to sit down with the authorities and discuss minimizing the harm gambling inflicts on the population. We must consider establishing and funding specialized rehabilitation centers, as gambling addiction is a serious dependency requiring psychological support.
So there are critical questions here concerning age limits and the strict enforcement of restrictions introduced several years ago. Let me remind you: when we introduced standards to reduce harm, it took about four years with the involvement of a working group that included the Patriarchate. This law, however, was passed last week in just two days, which is why a great deal of questions have accumulated.”
Notably, on October 28, the Parliament of Georgia granted casinos the right to host international tournaments under an expedited procedure. Under the amendment to the Law “On Gambling Business Fees,” organizers of international tournaments will no longer be required to pay the gambling fee levied on each club table.
The bill was opposed by the Patriarchate, the Public Defender’s Office (Ombudsman), the opposition, and civil society organizations. On November 6, the opposition United National Movement party submitted an initiative to impose a blanket ban on Georgian citizens participating in gambling, including online casinos.
