Georgia International Online Gambling License: Company Requirements, Platform Requirements, and Project Launch Process.
Since July 2026, Georgia has introduced a separate licensing regime for online gambling projects targeting foreign players. Previously, entering the market was linked to having a land-based gambling facility, which significantly limited the use of the Georgian jurisdiction by international operators. Now, a company registered in Georgia can obtain authorization for remote gambling activities without opening a land-based casino or betting shop.
The simplified model does not mean that registering a Georgian LLC and paying a state fee is sufficient to launch a project. Before submitting an application, it is necessary to determine the gambling verticals, structure the ownership model, confirm the source of funds, prepare the platform for technical review, and organize infrastructure in Georgia.
In practice, this preliminary preparation determines whether an operator will be able to obtain authorization and launch the project without redesigning its corporate and technical structure.
What Changed in 2026
The new regime is intended for operators that organize gambling activities online and serve an international audience. In professional practice, it is often referred to as Georgia’s international online gambling license, although Georgian legislation uses the term authorization.
The regime provides for three separate types of authorizations:
| Type of activity | State fee | Validity period |
| Online casino | 100,000 GEL per year | 5 years |
| Online slots | 100,000 GEL per year | 5 years |
| Online betting and totalizator | 100,000 GEL per year | 5 years |
The authorizations do not replace each other. If a project simultaneously offers casino games, slots, and sports betting, it will need to obtain three authorizations and pay the annual fee for each one.
One authorization is issued for operation through one declared website. Therefore, the domain structure has legal significance already at the licensing stage. If an operator plans to launch several independent brands or websites, it cannot automatically assume that all of them will be able to operate under a single authorization.
Who Can Obtain the Authorization
The applicant must be an entrepreneur registered in Georgia. For international projects, a Georgian LLC is typically used, as this structure allows the company to define ownership interests, appoint a director, enter into agreements with platform providers, and open corporate bank accounts.
Foreign individuals and legal entities may participate in the company. The new regime does not establish a general requirement that the director must be a Georgian citizen. However, formal company registration does not replace the review of shareholders, management, and actual business activities.
At the time the authorization is issued, the applicant must not have recognized tax liabilities. The authorization is linked to a specific operator and cannot be freely transferred to another company together with the website, brand, or platform agreement.
If a group plans to change the operating legal entity, sell the project, or attract an investor in the future, these scenarios should be considered before submitting the application. The transfer of shares in a company and the transfer of the authorization itself have different legal consequences.
Which Players Can Be Served
The international authorization is intended for foreign customers. It does not grant the right to accept bets or provide access to gambling activities for Georgian citizens, even if such a user is physically located outside the country.
It is also necessary to exclude participation by foreign citizens and stateless persons who have not reached the established age requirement. For the international model, the minimum player age is 18, but the operator must additionally consider stricter rules of the country where the user is located.
Restrictions cannot be implemented only through wording in the user agreement. The platform must support customer registration and verification, age and citizenship checks, geolocation restrictions, blocking of prohibited territories, and repeated verification of information when risks arise.
A Georgian authorization confirms the legality of the operator’s activities from the perspective of Georgia, but it does not automatically create the right to operate in every other country. Before accepting players, it is necessary to determine:
- in which countries the website will be available and advertising will be placed
- whether a local license is required in each target country
- whether players may be served by a foreign operator in that jurisdiction
- what payment and marketing restrictions apply there
- whether a territory must be excluded through geoblocking
Attempting to promote a product as an «international casino available worldwide» creates risks of claims from foreign regulators, advertising platforms, banks, and payment providers.
Why a Registered Office Alone Is Not Enough
In the licensing model, several types of addresses must be distinguished, each serving its own purpose.
Company Registered Address
This address is provided when registering the Georgian legal entity and is used for official correspondence. The registered address itself does not confirm that gambling activities are managed from that location.
Place of Effective Management
The applicant must identify the address where the online project is organized and controlled. The regulator needs to understand where the operator is located, who makes decisions, how the platform is controlled, and where corporate and operational documents are stored.
Server Infrastructure Address
The infrastructure used to operate the gambling system in Georgia is specified separately. The architecture should correspond to the technical product model: where primary and backup servers are located, what data is transferred to third-party providers, and whether the operator can provide the regulator with the necessary access to information.
Using a single address «for all purposes» without an actual connection to the company’s activities may lead to additional questions. Therefore, the infrastructure model should preferably be determined before signing agreements with the data center, platform provider, and technical contractors.
How Owners and Managers Are Verified
The review process also covers individuals who own the operator or are able to influence its activities. The application package may include information about shareholders, partners, directors, representatives, and ultimate beneficial owners.
For foreign participants, documents from their countries of citizenship or registration will be required. In particular, authorities may verify the absence of outstanding or unexpunged convictions for certain intentional economic, financial, and other serious crimes.
The operator should build a transparent ownership chain in advance. If shares are held by several foreign companies, the Georgian register alone will not be sufficient: the structure must be disclosed down to the level of individual beneficial owners, with supporting documents provided for each ownership level.
A separate verification block concerns the source of funds used to pay for the authorization and finance the project. The source must correspond to the financial history of the owners and be supported by banking, corporate, or contractual documents.
What Requirements Apply to the Platform
The authorization is issued not to an abstract company, but to an operator with a specific website, games, rules, and technical system. Therefore, an agreement with a white-label or turnkey platform provider must be reviewed before submitting the application.
The agreement and technical documentation should clearly define:
- ownership of the software and the operator’s rights to use it
- the list of gaming products, suppliers, and aggregators
- the procedure for user registration, identification, and restrictions
- the accounting of deposits, bets, winnings, bonuses, and refunds
- storage of transactions, logs, and player activity history
- operator and regulator access to reports
- allocation of responsibility for certification and system changes
- personal data processing procedures and incident response measures
If a provider only supplies the user interface, while critical data and control functions remain with another company, this must be reflected in the documentation. Nominally naming the Georgian operator as the website owner does not eliminate dependence on the actual technical architecture.
Gaming products and related services must undergo the required technical authorization procedure. Replacing the platform, adding a new provider, or making significant functionality changes may require updated documentation or a new review.
What Is Included in the Document Package
The composition of the package depends on the selected vertical and project structure. However, preparation can conveniently be divided into four blocks.
- Corporate documentation. This includes the application for a specific type of authorization, registration documents of the Georgian company, information about managers and owners, documents confirming the beneficial ownership chain, criminal record certificates, and proof of the source of financing.
- Product documentation. The operator describes the website, domain, offered games, participation rules, user registration, age and citizenship verification, payment processing, payout of winnings, bonus mechanisms, and complaint handling procedures. For online betting, requirements regarding the provision of the prize pool are also taken into account.
- Technical documentation. This includes a description of the platform, server and network architecture, transaction recording systems, information security measures, data storage, and interaction with gaming providers. Available certificates and technical authorization documents are attached.
- Operational documentation. The operator must disclose the address of actual management, infrastructure address, contact details, and information that will be published on the website. Information about the operator, authorization, and rules must be available to users in Georgian and English.
The Revenue Service may request additional documents if the submitted package is insufficient to verify the company or the product. Therefore, the package should be prepared as a coherent description of the business rather than a collection of formally required certificates.
How the Preparation for Obtaining the Authorization Works
The sequence of actions depends on the project’s level of readiness; however, the workflow usually includes several stages.
- First, the product model is defined: casino, slots, betting, number of websites, target countries, payment methods, and content providers.
- Then a Georgian company is established, the ownership structure is arranged, a director is appointed, and information about ultimate beneficial owners is prepared.
- After that, operational presence is organized: the place of management, server infrastructure, and allocation of functions between the operator and contractors are determined.
- At the same time, the platform, agreements, certificates, game rules, KYC procedures, and access restriction mechanisms are reviewed.
- Once the product is ready, the operator undergoes technical authorization and prepares the documents for submission to the Revenue Service.
- Before the authorization is issued, the first-year authorization fee is paid. For a betting project, the required prize fund security is also established.
The standard review period starts after the complete package has been submitted. It should not be considered the timeline for launching the entire project: company registration, disclosure of a foreign ownership structure, technical review, and obtaining documents from other countries may take significantly longer.
What Makes Up the Launch Budget
The main fixed payment is 100,000 GEL per year for each type of authorization. If a project combines several verticals, the fees are added together. The first payment should be included in the budget before obtaining the authorization, not after the website starts operating.
Additional expenses arise from company registration and maintenance, technical authorization, review of gaming products, server infrastructure, translation and legalization of foreign documents, payment integrations, legal preparation, and ongoing compliance.
For betting activities, the prize fund security requirement must be considered separately. The annual fee does not replace taxes and other mandatory payments. The tax burden should be calculated based on the specific product model, sources of income, and the current version of Georgian legislation.
Therefore, the promise of obtaining a «ready license for 100,000 GEL» does not reflect the actual cost of launching a project. The state fee is only one part of the overall budget.
Which Mistakes Most Often Delay Launch
Choosing the Authorization After Product Development
If the platform is built first and the licensing model is determined later, it may turn out that different gambling verticals require separate authorizations and that the chosen domain structure does not correspond to the application.
Nominal Georgian Company
Registering an LLC without a place of management, technical infrastructure, and contractual authority does not create a fully operational operator. The applicant must actually control the website, rules, financial operations, and relationships with users.
Incomplete Platform Agreement
The agreement may not include the right to provide data to the regulator, receive reports, or use required certificates. Correcting these provisions after submitting the application increases timelines and makes the launch dependent on the provider.
Ignoring Foreign Markets
A Georgian authorization does not remove the requirements of the countries where players are located. If the operator does not prepare a list of prohibited and regulated jurisdictions, issues may arise after advertising or payment services are connected.
Calculating Only the State Fee
Even with a ready company, the project will require technical review, infrastructure, compliance procedures, translations, and contractual work. Underestimating these expenses often results in the project being paused between company registration and submission of the application.
How Wolja Digital Can Help
Wolja Digital assists international online gambling projects with preparation for obtaining authorization in Georgia. We determine which authorizations are required for the selected gambling verticals and domains, review the company structure and beneficial owners, analyze agreements with platforms and suppliers, and define requirements for the website, infrastructure, and user procedures.
Before starting the formal process, we also assess target countries and the product’s readiness for technical authorization. This approach helps identify inconsistencies in advance that would otherwise appear after company registration, infrastructure payments, or submission of documents.