Georgia Excludes 1.5M+ from Gambling System; Toughens Policy
Georgia closed 2025 with one of the strictest gambling restriction policies worldwide. After completing a national review of the exclusion register, the country's Revenue Service confirmed that 1,577,247 citizens are currently prohibited from participating in gambling activities. This figure amounts to nearly 40 percent of the total population, estimated at 3.7 million inhabitants, and meets the goal set by former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili before leaving office.
The scope of the measure highlights the structural nature of the reform. Only about 36,000 people voluntarily requested self-exclusion due to concerns related to problem gambling, while just 62 cases were added through court orders. The vast majority of exclusions occurred automatically or administratively, through state digital platforms such as the Revenue Service portal and its video call verification system.
Among the groups automatically included in the register are public sector employees and citizens with criminal records. Since 2025, legislation has assigned the Revenue Service direct responsibility for overseeing gambling operators and managing the national database of excluded individuals, consolidating a highly centralized control model.
This regulatory tightening continues a series of reforms initiated in 2024, when Georgia raised the minimum gambling age from 18 to 25 years. Additionally, under the current Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s administration, new operational requirements for operators were introduced, such as the mandatory implementation of biometric identification systems in gambling venues and the introduction of a stricter tax scheme.
On the tax front, licensed operators must pay a 15 percent tax on gross gambling revenue, while Georgian citizens are subject to an additional 5 percent tax on withdrawals. Foreign players, however, are exempt from these charges, in line with the government’s official stance, which considers gambling primarily as an activity aimed at tourism rather than domestic consumption.
With this framework, Georgia reinforces a strategy that prioritizes social protection and the financial stability of its population, even at the cost of significantly restricting access to legal gambling. The result is a highly regulated market, with strong entry barriers for local residents and an approach that continues to generate debate both inside and outside the country about the balance between state control, revenue collection, and individual freedoms.
Tags: Georgia, online betting Georgia, Georgia player self-exclusion