Georgia’s parliament is actively considering legislation that would establish a dedicated licensing regime for online gambling operators targeting customers outside the country.
The proposal, initiated by members of the ruling Georgian Dream party, would introduce three new permit categories covering online casino, internet slots, and sports betting services.
Each licence would run for a five-year term and would be aimed exclusively at foreign players, according to GBC, with Georgian citizens prohibited from accessing the platforms.
Operators securing a licence would be required to conduct all activities through dedicated domains, ensuring a clear operational separation from any domestic-facing services.
Annual permit fees would be set at GEL100,000, equivalent to approximately €33,372, creating a structured cost framework for international operators looking to establish a Georgian base.
Georgia’s Revenue Service would oversee the licensing process, with permits available only to companies that are locally registered within the country.
Operators would face a dedicated set of technical and operational requirements specifically tailored to foreign-facing gambling businesses, ensuring compliance standards are built into the regime from the outset.
A separate tax framework would also be introduced, with revenue generated from overseas customers subject to a 5% tax rate on gross gaming revenue.
The proposal builds on reforms introduced in 2024, when Georgia approved changes allowing operators to establish separate domains for local and international players, alongside preferential tax treatment for foreign-sourced revenue.
Those earlier changes also exempted overseas players from taxation on winnings generated through Georgian operators, signalling a deliberate policy direction toward attracting international gambling business.
In 2023, the government had moved in the opposite direction domestically, increasing gambling taxes and introducing additional restrictions as part of a broader effort to address rapid growth in gambling activity within Georgia itself.
The latest legislative push represents a clear effort to separate the international market from the domestic gambling sector, creating two distinct regulatory environments operating in parallel.
If approved by parliament, the new licence categories would mark a significant step in Georgia’s ambition to position itself as a recognised international gambling hub, competing for operators seeking EU-adjacent licensing options.
The country’s evolving regulatory approach reflects a broader trend of smaller nations carving out specialist international gambling jurisdictions while maintaining tighter controls over domestic player access.
