Top-rated Online gambling sites in Georgia

Online casino in Georgia falls under the government's gray area because Georgia is not strictly regulated. This doesn’t mean that the residents are not allowed to access casino websites to play the latest casino games available. On the contrary, Georgian players are more than welcome to register at online casinos and have some fun.

Up until today, no resident in Georgia has been prosecuted for accessing and playing at online casinos. The way that the Georgian government regulates online gambling is a bit confusing for potential gamblers as the state is known to prosecute operators of online casinos, but never go after the players.

During the 1920s, the gambling industry and the government in Georgia had a very complicated relationship. The first casino in the country was opened in 1920 in the capital, but it was quickly closed.

Then, Georgia was under the rule of the Soviet Union until 1991 and during this period, gambling was considered an illegal activity. Ever since the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, gambling has been labeled as a legal activity. After gambling was made legal, the industry started to boom.

But, even though this activity was always legal, there were not a lot of land-based casinos where the players could enjoy these games. That is why the online casino industry had a lot of space to grow during the 2010s. Only a few cities in this country had facilities of this character, which is why residents that did not live close-by, by had to travel if they wanted to gamble.

With the growth of online casinos, the economy in Georgia started collecting very high gross revenues. The gross revenue of the gambling industry in 2018 in this country exceeded $5 billion, which was the equivalent of a third of the total GDP that year. Just to compare the results, gambling had gross revenue of around $2 billion in 2014. As statistics show, its popularity over the course of 4 years rose very fast, and it managed to double its revenues.

Since both land-based and online gambling became so profitable, the government became very lenient towards these types of activities. That is why, even though online gambling is not strictly regulated by a specific law, Georgian players that access online casinos face no penalties.

Online casinos cannot be based in Georgia, but the players are more than welcome to access offshore accounts and have fun there.

Gambling Nowadays in Georgia

These days, gambling is booming in Georgia. A vast majority of the population regularly goes to land-based casinos or online casinos to play their favorite gambling games. There are a total of 13 land-based casinos in the country. Five of them are in the capital, Tbilisi, six are in Batumi, and two more are in the countryside.

Not only that but there are thousands of online casinos that offer their services to Georgian players. They operate 24/7/365 and players can access them from any time and any place. It is interesting to mention that mobile gaming has been on the rise in Georgia and recently, more and more people are fond of the idea of accessing online casinos via their smartphones as access is much easier. All players need is a stable Internet connection.

Casinos are legal in Georgia. They have been ever since the country gained independence in 1991. Not only that, but gambling has proven to play a crucial role in Georgia’s economy. In the past few years, gambling equaled a third of the total GDP made by Georgia.

As the statistics from 2018 showed, the gross revenue of the gambling industry exceeded $5 billion, and that is why the government is very open to regulating these activities better.

When it comes to land-based gambling, Georgian law says that in order to operate legally, these facilities must first obtain a license. Add to that, gambling in this country is officially part of the entertainment industry, and it is used as a tool to boost tourism in the country.

That is why the gambling taxes in Georgia are pretty low. Both land-based and online casinos pay a 10% tax of the total revenue, along with some fixed general taxes. Compared to the taxes in other countries, the taxes for this industry are much lower.

Georgia is also considered to be the favorite destination for Muslim people that like to gamble. This activity is illegal in almost all countries where the majority of the residents are Muslim, so they most often travel to Georgia to experience all the fun and thrill.

Online Casino Regulation

The regulation for online casinos is a bit different, though. In fact, there is no specific law that regulates them. But, since the industry contributes to the well-being of the economy, Georgian authorities do not impose any penalties for players that access online casinos. They are free to register and play at any offshore site, as long as it is licensed and legal to operate.

Because there is no strict regulation of online gambling, players need to be careful when accessing Georgian casino sites. They must check whether the sites are trustworthy and the best way to do that is to check their license. Some of the most popular global regulatory bodies that license online casinos are the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission.

As for regulations, the Law of Georgia on Organizing Lotteries, Games of Chance, and Other Prize Games NO 5448 is the governing regulation that oversees all types of gambling. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for licensing and controlling casinos in the country.

Georgian players are extremely fond of welcome bonuses at online casinos as they provide them with massive rewards upon registration. In most cases, online casinos reward Georgian players with Free Spins as well as deposit bonuses. The process of registration, which is a must to claim these bonuses lasts just a minute and all that they are required to do is fill out an online application form with some basic information about themselves.

The other two popular bonuses in Georgia are no deposit bonuses and Free Spins. The reason why they are so popular in this region is that they give them the chance to win real money without actually depositing any money. One thing that Georgians need to remember about Free Spins and no deposit bonuses, as well as the welcome bonuses, is that they come with certain wagering requirements which must be met when withdrawing winnings. To check what are the wagering requirements, players need to check the promotions page of the chosen online casino.

Additionally, some online casinos may require the players to enter bonus codes before they are able to claim the bonuses. Not only that but deposits made with certain methods may not be considered eligible for these bonuses in online gambling sites in Georgia. That is why it is best to read the terms and conditions of the chosen online casino by Georgian players.

Since Georgian players are very fond of the idea of playing for real money, they must make sure that they pick payment methods that are safe and will provide them with fast transactions. With that being said, some of the most commonly used payment methods that Georgians use for deposits and withdrawals are methods that are specific within the country, like iPay and eMoney.

E-Wallets

If these two methods cannot be used as deposit/withdrawal methods, Georgian players usually resort to e-wallets or credit and debit cards. The most popular e-wallets in Georgia are Skrill and Neteller and these two methods can provide them with instant transactions, which is the reason why they are so adored.

One thing to remember about e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller is that some online casinos do not consider them as eligible deposit methods to claim the featured bonuses.

Credit and Debit Cards

Credit and debit cards are also commonly used as they are very secure. But, even though deposits with these methods are instant, players have to wait a few business days before their winnings are transferred to their accounts.

The processing period for withdrawals made with credit and debit cards is typically 3-5 days., but it varies from one casino site to another.

Other Payment Methods

Payment methods that are frequently used are bank transfers and cryptocurrencies. As stated earlier, cryptocurrency games have been on the rise in Georgia recently, and the only way to play these games is if players make a deposit with a cryptocurrency. Georgian online casinos that accept them as a payment method usually feature Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum, but Georgian players opt-in for Bitcoin in most cases.

The reason why Georgian players like cryptocurrencies are because they provide them with extra security by giving them a certain level of online anonymity. This is a massive feature , considering the fact that online gambling is a gray area of the law in Georgia, and the government does not have any specific regulations which are designed to protect the players from accessing scam sites.

Finally, land-based gambling is still popular here, which is why walk-in deposits and withdrawals remain popular in the country.