Yesterday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced, that the government was primarily thinking of increasing taxes for online gambling, banning advertising and raising the threshold to 25 years.
Giorgi Mamulashvili, head of Administration of Georgian Gambling Association explains that the future regulations will lose the gambling sector its attractiveness in terms of international investments and it will hinder creation of new jobs in the sector.
“Many investors are interested in entering Georgia and it is essential for job creation and development of the country, but those regulation will push the sector back”, - Giorgi Mamulashvili declares.
According to him, none of the countries have age threshold on gambling and thousands of people will switch to foreign sites due to these regulations.
As Mamulashvili notes, new regulations can push the gambling business back 20 years.
-How well is the gambling sector regulated in Georgia?
I can tell you that today Georgian gambling sector is quite transparent and it is well regulated. Anyone can find information on any gambling index, but gradually regulations must be refined along with the new challenges. For example, in 2020, law on gambling was completely changed, which tightened the players' identification-verification regulations.
Most of the developed countries of the world and European countries have come to the conclusion that a ban is not the solution, because the activity will move underground.
- What will lead the introduction of new regulations?
We do not know exactly what changes are considered now. Three years ago, we had communication and shared the experience of partner countries on the ban on gambling until the age of 25. Nowhere in the world, there is no such a high age threshold, moreover in many countries, including France and Japan, the age threshold has been lowered from 21 to 18 years.
Age-restrictions on gambling, will involve this age group in an uncontrolled game. Today the activities of all players are regulated and controlled by the state; When the threshold rises, this category of people will move to foreign sites where Georgia has no control, which is harmful to the business.
The Prime Minister's speech has been a surprise, now we are trying to get involved in the mentioned issues and consultations in order to understand the opinion of the state regarding the adoption of these regulations.
