MP Shota Berekashvili: Tightened rules require 80% foreign players in international gambling tournaments

“The amendments to the Law on Organising Lotteries, Gambling and Other Prize Games, passed at third reading, require that at least 80% of all participants in an international gambling tournament be foreign nationals,” said MP Shota Berekashvili, chair of Parliament’s Economic Policy Committee.

Berekashvili said all the restrictions set out in gambling law will apply to the 20% who are Georgian citizens.

He said strict monitoring will be carried out to ensure the law’s requirements are met.

“International tournaments can already be held today. There are no restrictions regarding whether a Georgian or a foreigner participates. Accordingly, the law provides that if a game has the status of an international tournament, then 80 per cent of the participants must be foreigners, and only 20 per cent may be citizens of Georgia as a mandatory condition. For that 20 per cent, all restrictions established by law regarding gambling remain in effect, including that if a person is on the black list, they will not be able to participate. Likewise, public servants cannot participate. We have tightened the requirements and imposed restrictions on Georgian citizens, capping local participation at 20 per cent.

Strict monitoring will be carried out to ensure the conditions are met, so 80% will be foreign nationals. This is not gambling or a casino in the classic sense. It is a sporting tournament held in many EU countries, including in Barcelona, Paris and Milan. In Paris, casinos and gambling are banned altogether, yet a similar tournament was held there. Why is this kind of tourist flow good? Out of season, especially in Adjara, it would be good to hold such tournaments and increase tourist numbers,” Berekashvili said.

Parliament passed the amendments to the Law on Organising Lotteries, Gambling and Other Prize Games at third reading today.