Operating in Georgia: ad limits and compliance
Georgia is licensed-only: the Revenue Service issues separate online permits for casino games, slot machines and sports betting. Georgian citizens must be 25 to gamble and foreign nationals 18. Operators pay 20% of gross gaming revenue on casino and slot play by Georgian citizens and 5% on foreign players, and Georgian citizens pay 5% tax on each withdrawal. Since 3 July 2026 a new permit lets companies serve players abroad only.
Product by product
Every online permit goes only to a company registered in Georgia, with its management address and server infrastructure in Georgia, and covers one internet domain.| Product | Status | Licensed by | Tax | Key restriction | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online sports betting | Limited | Revenue Service (totalizator permit) | 7% of stakes (Georgian players); 5% of GGR (foreign players) | The domestic permit goes only to the holder of a land-based totalizator permit; prize-fund security of at least GEL 10,000 by bank guarantee or insurance | Banned except on the operator's own site, sports sponsorship at the venue, one venue sign and airports |
| Online casino | Licensable | Revenue Service | 20% of GGR (Georgian players); 5% (foreign players) | One internet domain per permit; GEL 5,000,000 a year, or GEL 100,000 if issued on a land-based permit | As for Online sports betting |
| Online slots | Licensable | Revenue Service | As for Online casino | A separate slot machine permit and domain; GEL 1,000,000 a year, or GEL 100,000 on a land-based permit | As for Online sports betting |
| International-organisation permits | Licensable | Revenue Service | 5% of GGR from foreign-citizen players | New since 3 July 2026 for casino, slots and sports betting; no land-based permit needed; Georgian citizens may not join; GEL 100,000 a year | — |
| Lottery | State monopoly | Ministry of Finance tender, not a permit | — | One exclusive right for 10 years; prize fund at least 45% of ticket sales | — |
What changed for online permits in 2026?
Law No 1822 of 25 June 2026 took effect on 3 July 2026. It creates a new international-organisation permit for online casino, slots and sports betting, which Georgian citizens may not join, and it allows one internet domain per online permit; permits issued before it keep up to two domains for their remaining term. Law No 1578 of 27 May 2026 raised the fine for breaching online permit conditions from GEL 7,000 to GEL 20,000. On 8 October 2026 the Revenue Service register showed no international-organisation permit yet, and no gambling bill was pending in Parliament.
Regulator and player protection in Georgia
Which casinos & betting sites are licensed in Georgia?
See the full official list of licensed operators and their authorised domains.
Heads-up for operators
Changes coming in Georgia · last change 26 Oct 2026
No gambling bill was pending in the Parliament of Georgia as of 26 October 2026 (a check of the Parliament's bill database that day for the Georgian words for gambling, games and lottery found no gambling-related package newer than 350/3 of 17 June 2026; on 8 October 2026 it returned 143 bills mentioning gambling; the two newest packages, 350/3 of 17 June 2026 and 289/2 of 8 April 2026, match laws already enacted; the search matches titles and descriptions only). Two amending laws are in force: Law No 1578 of 27 May 2026, published 1 June 2026 and in force on the 15th day after publication, raised the fines under Art. 37^1 of the Gambling Law (online casino, slot machine and totalizator permits from GEL 7,000 to GEL 20,000; land-based casino permits from GEL 7,000 to GEL 20,000; slot halls from GEL 1,000 to GEL 10,000; gambling clubs and supply permits to GEL 10,000). Law No 1822 of 25 June 2026, in force on publication on 3 July 2026, created permits for the international organisation of online casino, slot machine and totalizator games, which Georgian citizens may not join, allowed one internet domain per online permit (permits issued earlier keep up to two until expiry) and set fines of GEL 20,000 for the new permits.
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Getting licensed: apply to LEPL Revenue Service
Gambling tax and fees in Georgia
- Online casino and slots
- 20% of GGR from Georgian-citizen players (Tax Code Art. 98(6), in force 1 January 2025 by Law No 134;
- 15% for December 2024 under Law No 4364) and 5% of GGR from foreign-citizen players (Art. 98(5)).
- Online sports betting (totalizator): 7% of the monthly sum of stakes from Georgian players (Art. 309(16)) and 5% of GGR from foreign-citizen players.
- GGR is stakes received less winnings paid, per calendar month, declared by the 15th of the following month; no deduction for bonuses, free bets or jackpot contributions is stated.
- Gambling business fee
- GEL 250,000 to 300,000 a quarter for each domestic online permit issued on a land-based permit and each domestic online totalizator permit; standalone domestic online casino and slot permits and the international permits are outside it (Fee Law Arts. 3(1), 5).
- Permit fees are separate and fixed per year: casino GEL 5,000,000 (GEL 100,000 if issued on a land-based casino permit), slots GEL 1,000,000 (GEL 100,000 on a land-based slot salon permit), totalizator GEL 100,000, each international permit GEL 100,000, supply permit GEL 100,000 (Law on Licence and Permit Fees Art. 7).
- VAT
- gambling is exempt without the right to deduct input VAT (Art. 171(b)).
- General profit tax is 15% on distributed profit, but online gambling profit is taxed on the GGR rules above.
Which foreign licences Georgia accepts
Georgia recognises none of these 8 foreign licences.
Not recognisedMalta (MGA) · United Kingdom (UKGC) · Curaçao (CGB) · Alderney (AGCC) · Kahnawake (KGC) · Anjouan · Isle of Man (GSC) · Gibraltar (GRA)
No instrument read recognises a Malta (MGA) licence, or any foreign licence. To take Georgian players an operator needs a Revenue Service permit held by a company registered in Georgia (Gambling Law Art. 11(2)). No power to block websites, domains or applications was found in the instruments read, so the absence of blocking is not permission.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses no rule in the law
Georgia's rules say little about bonus offers themselves; the main limit is where gambling can be advertised. Advertising is allowed in only four cases (the operator's own game website, sports sponsorship at the venue, one sign at a gambling venue, and international airports and border points), and the Advertising Law has no bonus-specific rule. Free spins are not prohibited, and marketing incentive funds can carry a withdrawal restriction. An online totalizator operator must clearly inform players of every marketing campaign available to them.
- Welcome bonus
- No rule in the law
Neither the gambling law nor the Advertising Law sets a rule on welcome bonuses, VIP or loyalty schemes or cashback, and free spins are not prohibited. A bonus offer can be advertised only in the four channels the Advertising Law permits, in practice the operator's own game website.
- Channels off-limits
- Television and radio
- Social media and any other electronic communications network except the operator's own game website
- Outdoor advertising, except one sign of up to 10 square metres at a gambling venue, sports-venue sponsorship, and international airports and border crossing points
- Print and every other form or means outside the four permitted cases
- Penalties
The Code of Administrative Offences fines the organiser, the advertiser and the owner of an internet venue (Arts. 158^5, 176^1, 176^2, 176^5, 176^6). Breaking the rules on distributing gambling, totalizator, lotto or bingo advertising, or on placing signs, is fined GEL 10,000, and GEL 20,000 for a repeat by a person already penalised (Art. 158^5). Municipal executive bodies impose sanctions for breaches of the advertising legislation within their competence (Law on Advertising Art. 17).
The Revenue Service fines permit holders for breach of permit conditions (GEL 20,000 for online permits since June 2026) and can cancel permits. Whether it has applied this to advertising was not found.
Decided fines are not published in any source read. No pre-approval or notification of gambling advertising is required, no disclosure text is set for bonus advertising, and no word-level ban such as on 'risk-free' was found.
Advertising: limited
Georgia's Law on Advertising (Art. 8-3) allows gambling advertising in only four cases: on the website where the online gambling is organised; at a sports event or sports venue as a sponsorship condition (banner or participants' uniform); on one sign of up to 10 square metres at a venue where gambling is lawfully held; and in international airports and border crossing points. Advertising in any other form or by any other means, including electronic communications networks, is banned. No pre-approval or notification is required, no time-of-day rule exists, and the article names no supervising body; the National Communications Commission is answerable for broadcast advertising rules. The fine for breaking the ban was not read.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Banned | Under the Law on Advertising (Art. 8-3), gambling may be advertised online only on the website where the online gambling is organised; advertising through electronic communications networks anywhere else is not allowed. A search ad is outside the four permitted cases. Google's own policy for Georgia was not read.1 |
| App Store Publishing | Restricted | The Gambling Law and the Law on Advertising say nothing about app stores. Georgian-registered companies can hold online permits (nine did on 8 October 2026), so the law does not bar a permit holder from offering an app. Whether Google Play and the Apple App Store accept a real-money gambling app in Georgia was not checked against their current policies.24 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Banned | Under the Law on Advertising (Art. 8-3), gambling may be advertised online only on the website where the online gambling is organised; advertising through electronic communications networks anywhere else is not allowed. A paid placement in an app store is outside the four permitted cases. Google's and Apple's own advertising policies for Georgia were not read.1 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Banned | Under the Law on Advertising (Art. 8-3), gambling may be advertised online only on the website where the online gambling is organised; advertising through electronic communications networks anywhere else is not allowed. Social media is not among the permitted cases. Meta's own policy for Georgia was not read.1 |
| TV & Radio | Banned | Television and radio are not among the four permitted cases of Art. 8-3(1), so the general ban applies. Broadcast advertising is also governed by the Law on Broadcasting, which was not read; the National Communications Commission is answerable for broadcast advertising rules.1 |
| Sponsorships | Restricted | Allowed in visual form only: advertising at a sports event, competition or sports organisation's venue as a condition of sponsorship, by a banner on the inner perimeter of the venue or on the participants' uniform. No other placement in or around the stadium is allowed.1 |
| Digital OOH | Restricted | Outdoor advertising is banned except one sign of up to 10 square metres at a venue where gambling is lawfully held, sponsorship at sports venues, and international airports and border crossing points. Other outdoor advertising, digital billboards and transit advertising included, falls outside the four permitted cases. The Advertising Law gives the municipal body the duty for the outdoor-advertising rules.1 |
Channel rules for Georgia reflect each platform's published policy and the sources numbered in each row (listed under Methodology & sources). Verify with the local regulator and your ad-platform account manager before launching.
How Georgia enforces against unlicensed operators
Enforcement runs through the permit. The Revenue Service issues, amends and cancels permits and supervises their conditions, and since Law No 1578 (published 1 June 2026) the fine for breach is GEL 20,000 for online casino, slot machine and totalizator permits, up from GEL 7,000. Decided fines are not published in any source read. No power to block websites, domains or applications was found in the instruments read, and no provision read penalises a player for using an unlicensed operator. There is no gambling-specific criminal offence; the general offence of business without a permit (Criminal Code Art. 192) applies, and no source read shows it applied to unlicensed gambling.
- Law No 1578 of 27 May 2026, in force on the 15th day after its publication on 1 June 2026, raised the fine for breach of permit conditions to GEL 20,000 for online casino, slot machine and totalizator permits (from GEL 7,000) and land-based casino permits, and to GEL 10,000 for slot halls, gambling clubs and supply permits. The new international-organisation permits carry GEL 20,000 (Law No 1822, in force 3 July 2026).
- Decided fines: not reached. No Revenue Service decisions list was found.
- Admitting an under-age or excluded person is fined on the organiser under the Code of Administrative Offences: GEL 10,000, and GEL 20,000 for a repeat (Arts. 176^1, 176^5).
- No blocking power found: the Minister of Finance's only order under Gambling Law Art. 5(4), Order No 180 of 2017, listed allowed services and was repealed by Order No 49 of 18 February 2022; no replacement was found on matsne. Press claims of ISP or payment blocking remain unverified leads.
- Press report (Alien WP): the Georgian Gambling Association estimates that unlicensed offshore operators generate over GEL 2 billion a year. This figure is not in the primary texts read for the research report.
Enforcement cases in Georgia: 4 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Georgia. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- July 2026
All online permit holders
LicensingLaw No 1822: one domain per online permit; international-organisation permitsLaw No 1822 of 25 June 2026, in force on publication on 3 July 2026, limited new online permits to one internet domain and created permits for players abroad that Georgian citizens may not join, with fines of GEL 20,000.
Read-across: A second domain for a new market now needs a second permit and fee, except on permits issued before 3 July 2026, which keep up to two until expiry. Serving players abroad can go through the international permit (GEL 100,000 a year) without a land-based permit, but must not admit Georgian citizens.
- June 2026
All permit holders
LicensingLaw No 1578: fines for breach of permit conditions raisedLaw No 1578 of 27 May 2026, published 1 June 2026 and in force on the 15th day after publication, raised the fine under Art. 37(1) to GEL 20,000 for online casino, slot machine and totalizator permits (from GEL 7,000), and to GEL 10,000 for slot halls, gambling clubs and supply permits.
Read-across: The fine for each breach of permit conditions is nearly three times higher for online permits. Decided fines are not published in any source read, so actual use is not known.
- January 2025
Online casino and slot permit holders
TaxGGR tax on Georgian-citizen play set at 20%Law No 134 of 13 December 2024 set the profit tax on casino and slot GGR from Georgian-citizen players at 20% from 1 January 2025 (15% in December 2024 under Law No 4364); GGR from foreign-citizen players is taxed at 5%.
Read-across: The rate on Georgian-citizen play is four times the rate on foreign play, and the base is split by the player's citizenship, so citizenship must be recorded at registration.
- December 2024
All online permit holders
LicensingLaw No 4363: up to two domains per online permitLaw No 4363 of 27 June 2024, in force 1 December 2024, allowed each online permit up to two internet domains, one for Georgian citizens and one for foreign citizens.
Read-across: The two-domain arrangement was introduced on this date; Law No 1822 of 2026 now limits new permits to one domain.
Licensed operators: 9
As of 7 Nov 2026, approximately 9 operators hold an active licence in Georgia. Size your entry against this base before committing capital. Check them yourself on the official LEPL Revenue Service register, which lists each licensee and its authorised domains.
Notable licensed operators
Europebet
Traps operators hit in Georgia
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
Land-based prerequisite for domestic online sports betting
A domestic online totalizator (sports betting) permit is issued only to the holder of a land-based totalizator permit, and it runs only for the remaining term of that land-based permit. The land-based permit fee (GEL 30,000 to 300,000 a year) and the gambling business fee (GEL 250,000 to 300,000 a quarter) come on top of the GEL 100,000 online permit fee. The international totalizator permit needs no land-based permit but bars Georgian citizens.
Penalties for admitting under-age or excluded players
Georgian citizens must be 25 and foreign nationals 18, and the organiser must refuse persons on the exclusion lists. Admitting an under-age or excluded person is fined on the organiser at GEL 10,000, and GEL 20,000 for a repeat, under the Code of Administrative Offences. Every player must be registered, identified and re-verified every 12 months, and no deposit or payout may happen before verification.
Management address and server infrastructure in Georgia
The system-electronic game rules filed with each online permit application must give the actual address in Georgia from which the games are managed and the place in Georgia where the server infrastructure is located (Arts. 12(1^2), 19(1^3), 20(1^1), as reworded by Law No 4363). The Act does not say whether a mirror server is enough. A separate duty to pass a yearly system integrity and security assessment (by 1 March) applies to every operator.
Splitting Georgian-citizen and foreign-citizen revenue
Casino and slot GGR from Georgian citizens is taxed at 20% and from foreign citizens at 5%; sports betting stakes from Georgian players at 7% and foreign GGR at 5%. The base is split by the player's citizenship (Tax Code Arts. 98(5), 98(6)), so citizenship must be recorded and kept reliable. One domain per permit has applied since 3 July 2026, so a domain no longer separates the two groups on new permits.
Control-system certification and integration
Each online and supply permit applicant must file an authorisation certificate from the Revenue Service's selected person (at most GEL 35,000 per activity direction) and is integrated with the electronic control system by the selected person, which must complete the integration within 45 days of the end of the primary study (Decree No 605 Art. 3(1)(ზ); equipment at most GEL 100,000 per holder). An operating fee of 1% of GGR a month (from 1 January 2026, Decree No 535) (up to 5% for a supplier) then goes to the selected person. A material change to a game needs Revenue Service consent and a new certificate.
Timeline: rules in force
- 26 Oct 2026
No gambling bill pending in Parliament
The Parliament's bill database showed no gambling bill pending as of 26 October 2026 (no gambling-related package newer than 350/3 of 17 June 2026); its two newest gambling packages match Laws No 1822 and No 1578. The search matches titles and descriptions only.
Source: 18
- 3 Jul 2026
Law No 1822: one domain per permit and international-organisation permits
In force on publication. Each online permit covers one internet domain (permits issued before keep up to two until expiry). New permits for the international organisation of online casino, slot machine and totalizator games, which Georgian citizens may not join, carry a GEL 20,000 fine. No permit of this kind was on the register on 8 October 2026.
Source: 6
- 1 Jun 2026
Law No 1578: fines for permit breaches raised
Published 1 June 2026 and in force on the 15th day after publication. The fine under Art. 37(1) is GEL 20,000 for online casino, slot machine and totalizator permits (from GEL 7,000), GEL 10,000 for slot halls, gambling clubs and supply permits.
Source: 5
- 1 Jan 2025
GGR tax on Georgian-citizen casino and slot play set at 20%
Law No 134 of 13 December 2024 set the rate at 20% from 1 January 2025 (15% in December 2024 under Law No 4364); GGR from foreign-citizen players stays at 5%.
Source: 19
- 1 Dec 2024
Up to two domains per online permit
Law No 4363 of 27 June 2024 allowed each online permit one domain for Georgian citizens and one for foreign citizens.
Source: 13
- December 2024
Dual-Rate Tax System for Foreign vs. Local Players Launched
Law No 4364 of 27 June 2024, in force from 1 December 2024, split the gambling tax by player citizenship: 15% on income from Georgian citizens and 5% from foreign citizens. Law No 134 of 13 December 2024 raised the Georgian-player rate to 20% from 1 January 2025.
Source: 20
- 25 Mar 2005
Foundational Gambling Law Enacted
Law No 1180 of 25 March 2005 'On Organising Lotteries, Games of Chance and Other Prize Games' established the permit framework. It has been amended 48 times, the latest on 25 June 2026.
Source: 2
2 changes concern land-based gambling only and are listed on our updates page; this page covers online gambling.
Operator myths vs reality in Georgia
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythWe can get a standalone online sports betting licence.
- MythA European licence (e.g., MGA) allows us to operate legally in Georgia.Reality
No foreign licence is recognised by any instrument read. A Revenue Service permit held by a company registered in Georgia is required. We found no website-blocking power, and no gambling-specific criminal offence; the general offence of business without a permit (Criminal Code Art. 192) applies.
- MythLicence fees are the main cost of entry.Reality
Permit fees range from GEL 100,000 to GEL 5,000,000 a year depending on the activity and on whether a land-based permit sits behind it. Certification (at most GEL 35,000 per direction), integration (at most GEL 100,000), an operating fee of 1% of GGR a month, the gambling business fee for some permits and 20% or 5% GGR tax come on top.
Markets that work like Georgia
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
- BulgariaChecked
Online casino and betting licensed; lottery state-run; licensed market; most ad channels banned.
- ArmeniaCheckedUzbekistanCheckedLatviaCheckedItalyReviewed
Online casino and betting licensed; licensed market; most ad channels banned.
Methodology & sources
The research behind our Georgia coverage
Counted across every Georgia page, not this page alone.
compiled 26 Oct 2026
Across every Georgia page on this site: players, operators and the licence guide. The research report behind them cites official sources: the law, the regulator, the gazette, the courts and each platform’s own published advertising policy. Page sections not yet rewritten from the report may cite other sources.
The same research as a 46-page Georgia report: every one of the 201 checklist questions, each answer cited to the instrument behind it.
Request the Georgia reportOur Deep AI Scan took Georgia through all 201 questions of our regulatory checklist, from 46 official documents, read on 26 Oct 2026. Our research team then traced every figure on this page to the document and sentence that states it. The full research report is reviewed by a named legal expert (26 Oct 2026). Where a fact rests on a press report or a law-firm summary rather than an official document, the page says so.
Documents cited on this page
- 1Law on Advertising, Art. 8-3 (gambling advertising)
- 2Gambling Law No 1180 of 25 March 2005 (Georgian consolidated text, incl. Law No 1822 of 2026)
- 3Code of Administrative Offences of Georgia
- 4Revenue Service: register of gambling business permits
- 5Law No 1578 of 27 May 2026 amending Art. 37(1) of the Gambling Law (fines)
- 6Law No 1822 of 25 June 2026 amending the Gambling Law
- 7Criminal Code of Georgia
- 8Minister of Finance Order No 49 of 18 Feb 2022 repealing Order No 180 of 2017
- 9Law on Licence and Permit Fees
- 10Law on the Gambling Business Fee (No 4250 of 29 Dec 2006)
- 11Minister of Finance Order No 41 of 26 Feb 2021 (gaming account deposits and withdrawals)
- 12Minister of Finance Order No 43 of 26 Feb 2021 (player registration, identification, verification)
- 13Law No 4363 of 27 June 2024 amending the Gambling Law
- 14Minister of Finance Order No 243 of 1 Oct 2020 (technical requirements, consolidated text)
- 15Tax Code of Georgia (consolidated Georgian text)
- 16Government Decree No 455 of 22 July 2020 (selected-person fees), as amended by Decree No 535 of 8 Dec 2025
- 17Government Decree No 605 of 30 Sept 2020
- 18Parliament of Georgia: bill database (gambling search)
- 19Law No 134 of 13 December 2024 (Tax Code amendment, gambling)
- 20Source
The 10 documents this page relies on most
- Law of Georgia on Organising Lotteries, Games of Chance and Other Prize Games, No 1180 of 25.03.2005 (Georgian consolidated text, final edition incl. Law No 1822 of 25.06.2026)Regulator
- Law of Georgia No 1180 of 25 March 2005 "On Organising Lotteries, Games of Chance and Other Prize Games" (Georgian consolidated text, final version)Regulator
- Order No 243 of the Minister of Finance, 01.10.2020, requirements and standards for essential products/services (Annex 1: system-electronic games; Annex 2: gaming machines), original text of 02.10.2020, read with its amending Orders No 222, 257 and 262 of 2021, 51/2022, 335/2023 and 104/2024Regulator
- Expert review: Tatia Kinkladze, Legal Expert, Master of Laws, 26 October 2026Regulator
- Law of Georgia on Advertising, Georgian consolidated text (Art. 8^3) and English translation (Art. 17^1)Regulator
- Tax Code of Georgia, consolidated Georgian text (matsne.gov.ge, includes the version of 30/09/2026)Law
- Law of Georgia "On Licence and Permit Fees", consolidated Georgian textRegulator
- Government of Georgia Decree No 455 of 22 July 2020 on fees payable to the selected person, as amended by Decree No 535 of 8 Dec 2025Law
- Law of Georgia "On the Gambling Business Fee" (No 4250-რს of 29 Dec 2006), consolidated Georgian textRegulator
- Law of Georgia on Licences and Permits (English translation on matsne.gov.ge, used as a reading aid; Georgian text authoritative)Regulator
Also cited on this page
46 documents in all. Request the full research report for every source, answer by answer.