Online Gambling License in Georgia for Foreign Players: What Changed in 2026

Georgia has introduced a separate permit regime for online gambling aimed exclusively at foreign players. An operator may obtain a permit for an online casino, slot machines, or a totalizator without allowing Georgian citizens to participate.

The amendments were adopted by Parliament on June 25, 2026, and entered into force following their official publication on July 3. The new regime may be attractive to international gambling projects due to the five-year permit term, an annual fee of GEL 100,000, and a 5% tax on income from foreign players.

However, a Georgian permit does not automatically make a product a legal international service in every country. The operator must still take into account the laws of each market in which it accepts players, as well as AML requirements, customer identification, technical infrastructure, and access controls.

What Permits Are Available in Georgia

The law provides for three separate types of activities:

1. international organization of online casino games
2. international organization of slot machine games
3. international organization of totalizator games

A permit is issued for five years. Each type of activity is subject to an annual permit fee of GEL 100,000.

If a platform offers several categories of games simultaneously, a single permit may not be sufficient. Each product mechanic should be compared with the types of activities established by law to determine which permits the operator must obtain.

In business communications, such a document is often referred to as an online gambling license. Georgian legislation uses the concept of a permit, so it is important to use the official terminology when preparing applications and agreements.

Why the New Regime Should Not Be Considered a Standard Offshore License

The key feature of the model is the separation of the Georgian and international markets. The permit is intended for accepting foreign players, while Georgian citizens are not allowed to use the relevant platform.

The operator must not only state this prohibition in its user documents but also ensure that it is effectively enforced. A provision in the Terms and Conditions alone is insufficient if the registration process, payment infrastructure, or customer verification procedure allows a Georgian citizen to create an account and make a deposit.

The website must provide information in Georgian and English, including:

• the operator’s name, legal address, and contact telephone number
• the permit number
• the list of games and rules of participation
• a notice prohibiting participation by Georgian citizens
• a warning that foreign citizens and stateless persons under the age of 18 are not permitted to participate

When designing the platform, these legal requirements should be integrated with the KYC procedure, age verification, payment restrictions, and user-blocking system.

How Much Does the Permit Cost and How Is the Tax Calculated

The annual permit fee is GEL 100,000 for each type of activity. This means that an operator requiring separate permits for an online casino and slot machines must account for the fee for each permit.

In addition to the fixed fee, a 5% tax applies to income generated from the participation of foreign players. The tax base is GGR, meaning the difference between bets accepted and winnings paid out. The tax is calculated for the relevant reporting period rather than only when profits are distributed to the company’s owners.

The financial model should account for more than these two payments. The project budget should also include the costs of incorporating and maintaining a Georgian company, technical certification, banking services, payment providers, audits, the AML function, and integration with mandatory monitoring systems.

It would be incorrect to compare the Georgian regime with other jurisdictions solely on the basis of the permit fee. The operator may incur additional expenses depending on the product structure, software used, number of permits, and geographical distribution of players.

One Domain per Permit

The new international permit allows the use of one internet domain. This restriction should be taken into account before submitting an application.

If a group operates several brands or uses different websites for individual regions, it should determine in advance:

• which domain will be specified in the permit
• which games will be offered on that domain
• who owns the domain name and trademark
• which company enters into agreements with players
• through which entity deposits are accepted and winnings are paid
• whether separate permits will be required for other brands or gaming verticals

An attempt to use one permit for several formally independent websites may be regarded as a breach of its conditions. Transitional provisions apply to previously issued permits, but new operators should follow the one-domain rule.

Which Company Can Act as the Operator

Operating under a Georgian permit requires a corporate structure that complies with local law. In practice, an international project must identify the Georgian company that will act as the applicant, permit holder, and party dealing with government authorities.

Formal incorporation of a legal entity is not sufficient. The structure should correspond to the actual business operations, including ownership of the platform, agreements with suppliers, payment processing, data processing, and responsibility toward players.

Before submitting an application, the following should be reviewed:

1. Owners and sources of funding. The ownership structure, including ultimate beneficial owners, should be transparent to the regulator and financial institutions.
2. Rights to the software. If the platform, games, or individual modules are owned by other companies within the group, license agreements and documentation from suppliers will be required.
3. Address from which the activities are managed. The legislation requires disclosure of the address from which online gaming is organized and managed.
4. Banking and payment model. Banks, acquirers, and payment providers may conduct their own compliance reviews regardless of whether a permit has been issued.
5. Allocation of functions within the group. It should be determined who is responsible for marketing, player support, KYC, data storage, payouts, and complaint handling.

A company established solely to obtain a permit and disconnected from actual operations may face questions from the regulator, banks, and payment partners.

Technical Certification and Government Oversight

The online platform must comply with the technical requirements established by Georgian legislation and secondary regulations. Certain systems, products, and services in the gambling sector may be subject to inspection and require an authorization certificate.

International operators are also included in the electronic gambling monitoring system. This means that the product architecture must be assessed not only from a commercial perspective. The platform must be capable of generating and transmitting the data required for government monitoring.

Before launch, a technical audit should be conducted to review:

• the random number generator and game mechanics
• the system for recording bets, winnings, and refunds
• segregation of operator funds and player balances
• activity logging and record retention
• the ability to integrate with monitoring systems
• information security and access management
• the platform’s resilience against data modification or deletion

The exact scope of documentation and testing depends on the product and infrastructure used. Technical preparation should therefore begin in parallel with legal preparation rather than after the company has been incorporated.

What AML Obligations Apply to the Operator

The new international regime does not exempt a gambling company from anti-money laundering legislation. Gambling operators are considered obliged entities in Georgia and must apply the preventive measures required by law.

The operator will need to develop a risk-based system covering customer identification and verification, identification of beneficial owners, transaction analysis, and detection of suspicious activity. Electronic identification may be used subject to compliance with the applicable procedures.

Particular attention should be paid to situations where a player:

• uses identity documents from one country and a payment instrument from another
• registers multiple accounts
• conducts transactions inconsistent with ordinary gambling behavior
• rapidly deposits and withdraws funds without significant gaming activity
• is connected with a sanctioned or otherwise high-risk jurisdiction
• attempts to conceal their citizenship, age, or actual location

The prohibition on participation by Georgian citizens should be integrated into this system. An IP address check alone does not establish citizenship and can easily be circumvented using a VPN, so the operator will need to combine document verification, payment data, and technical indicators.

Does a Georgian Permit Allow an Operator to Work Worldwide

A Georgian permit legalizes the operator’s activities within the framework of Georgian law, but it does not replace permits required by other countries.

If a country requires a local license to accept its residents as players, holding a Georgian permit does not eliminate that requirement. Risks may arise even without an office in the player’s country: website accessibility, currency, language, advertising, local payment methods, and actual targeting of the local audience may all be relevant.

Before launch, countries should therefore be divided into three groups:

• markets where operations are permitted on the basis of a foreign permit
• markets requiring a separate local license or registration
• prohibited or unacceptable markets from which access should be blocked

This matrix should be updated regularly. Online gambling rules change, and a country that is accessible at launch may later introduce licensing requirements, restrict advertising, or require foreign websites to be blocked.

What to Check Before Obtaining a Permit

Preparation for an international gambling project should begin not with company incorporation but with a comprehensive review of the business model.

The team should determine the target markets, available types of games, number of domains, and required permits. The corporate structure, rights to the platform, supplier agreements, movement of funds, and compliance of the technical system with monitoring requirements should then be reviewed.

User documents, AML policies, responsible gambling rules, complaint-handling procedures, and personal data processing procedures should be prepared separately. Their content must correspond to the actual operation of the product. If the rules state that age verification takes place before a deposit is made, the platform should not allow it to be completed later.

It is equally important to discuss the project with banks and payment providers in advance. Obtaining a permit does not guarantee that a bank account will be opened or acquiring services provided: financial institutions independently assess business owners, target markets, and the level of compliance risk.

How Attractive Is the New Regime

Georgia offers clear basic parameters: a five-year permit term, a fixed annual fee, and a 5% tax on GGR from foreign players. This makes the jurisdiction notable for international operators seeking a regulated base for an online business.

However, the decision should not be based on cost alone. The Georgian regime should be assessed against the requirements of target countries, access to banking and payment systems, certification costs, and the ability to establish a genuine operational structure.

A strong model begins not with choosing the cheapest license, but with answering three questions: where the operator is established, in which markets it is legally permitted to operate, and whether it can demonstrate ongoing compliance throughout the entire permit term.