Patriarchate says it was not consulted on casino bill and “cannot stand aside”, as Parliament passes it

“The legislative initiative on casinos came as a complete surprise to us, as there was no prior communication with the Patriarchate on the matter,” said Archpriest Andria Jaghmaidze, head of the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Service.

Jaghmaidze stated that since 2017, the Georgian Patriarchate has actively initiated and served as a primary participant in the process of drafting and implementing gambling regulations.

“Work on this issue went on for several years. On the Patriarchate’s side, the process was led by Shio III, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, who was then Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne. A number of studies were conducted, with the resulting statistical data collected, analysed and shared with the public. In the end, the government adopted a whole package of regulations, which was very welcome.

As for the current legislative initiative, it came as a complete surprise to us. There was no prior communication with the Patriarchate on the matter. The Patriarchate hasn’t yet fully discussed this issue, but let me assure you: the Patriarchate cannot simply stand by during such a process.

We have read the Public Defender’s position, and I personally largely share her arguments. We hope that dialogue with the authors of the bill will produce a positive outcome,” Archpriest Jaghmaidze said.

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