TBILISI — Georgia has a separate licensing regime in force for online operators that serve only foreign players. Parliament adopted amendments to the Law "On the Organization of Lotteries, Gambling and Prize Games" on June 25, and they were published in the Legislative Herald of Georgia on July 3.
Law No. 1822-Vმს-XIმპ was adopted at third reading. It was presented in Parliament by Shota Berekashvili, chair of the Economic Policy Committee, the Parliament of Georgia said.
The amendments introduce three types of permits for the international organization of games in system-electronic form: casino, slot machines and totalizator (sports betting). The law also sets the conditions for granting permits, their duration, licensing requirements and supervision mechanisms, according to the Parliament's statement.
Georgian citizens may not participate in games organized under the international regime, the law states.
Each license is issued for five years. Applications are filed with the Revenue Service of Georgia, which operates under the Ministry of Finance, law firm REVERA said.
The annual fee is 100,000 lari for each permit type. The tax for these operators is 5% of gross gaming revenue. For online casinos open to Georgian citizens, the rate is 20%, Georgia Today reported, citing the bill's explanatory note.
International license holders are exempt from the gambling business fee, according to the updated version of the Law "On the Gambling Business Fee" on matsne.gov.ge.
Failure to pay the license fee on time carries a fine of 20,000 lari, REVERA said.
Operators must connect to the electronic gambling business monitoring system. They must notify the Revenue Service in advance of changes to key products, services or technical solutions, REVERA said.
The monitoring system is run by Random Systems Georgia, which the government chose as its "selected person." According to the company, the regime soft-launched in July and became fully operational in late September.
Georgia International Strategic Group promotes the regime abroad. The organization describes itself as the exclusive authorized representative for licensing international operators.
