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Georgia has officially activated its international iGaming licence framework, marking the full launch of a system designed to attract operators serving players outside the country.
Random Systems Georgia (RSG), the firm tasked with advising and overseeing the regime, confirmed that the rollout follows a soft launch earlier in July. The framework offers a five‑year licence and a package of support services, including banking, compliance, and payment processing under MCC 7995 codes.
Vakhtang Katamadze, supervisory board member at RSG, explained that the approach is meant to build “a country‑level ecosystem rather than a standalone licensing jurisdiction.” The government has positioned the licence as part of a broader ecosystem, not just a standalone permit, aiming to make Georgia a hub for international gambling operations.
Georgia finalizing gambling divide
Under the new framework, operators holding new international licences will be able to offer online casino games, slot products and sports betting, but only to foreign citizens and stateless persons.
Georgian residents will be excluded from these platforms, a restriction the government says is necessary to protect the local population from greater exposure to gambling risks.
At the same time, the proposal offers clear financial incentives to attract foreign operators. Companies licensed under the new system would pay a 5 percent tax on gross gaming revenue, plus a 1 percent monitoring fee and an annual permit of GEL 100,000.
This is far lower than the 20 percent rate currently applied to online casinos serving Georgian players. Lawmakers argue that the reduced tax burden could encourage investment and create jobs in areas such as software development, cybersecurity and digital marketing.
The draft legislation sets out three licence categories covering online casino products, slot games and sports betting, each valid for five years. Monthly tax obligations will apply throughout the licence period, and violations of payment or compliance rules could lead to fines of GEL 20,000.
Another change would limit operators to a single domain per permit, replacing the current allowance of two. Existing licence holders would be given time to adjust before the rule takes effect.
Introduced by MPs Shota Berekashvili, Giorgi Barvenashvili, Tornike Berekashvili, Anton Obolashvili and Mariam Lashkhi, the bill represents one of the clearest efforts yet to separate gambling as an export‑oriented industry from domestic consumer activity.
