Important GA Notes

List of places to play poker in Georgia with the Atlanta Poker Club. Map of places to play organized, competitive texas holdem tournaments for prizes. The Internet's most comprehensive poker source: poker news, poker videos, poker tournaments, poker player results, poker blogs, poker odds calculator, free online poker and deposit bonuses, and a.

• Residents from GA can play legally at offshore poker sites
• iGaming is a longshot for the foreseeable future in Georgia
• Live poker is available on cruise ships
• Lottery and charitable gaming are legal forms of gambling
• Land casino expansion may happen in 2016

One of the youngest professional Poker players who is from Georgia is the very friendly Jeff Williams, he was only 19 when he picked up a huge cash prize of over $1million when playing in the European Poker Tour. He is a firm favourite of also playing online poker too! The information for online poker sites in Georgia.

“Reviewed by Chuck Humphrey – 50 year Gaming Law Practitioner”

Poker is illegal under Georgia law because it is a game played with cards. Though no specific reference has been made to online poker in the statutes, it is understood to be legal because playing poker is legal on a Federal level. The law does mention that transmitting gambling information over the internet is illegal within the state of Georgia. However, as elsewhere in the United States, Georgia residents continue to play online poker at offshore sites.

Future Outlook of Online Poker in Georgia – Estimated date of legalization: 2020-2021

The following graph tracks our expected legislation of online poker in Georgia on a state law level. It is currently already legal on a Federal level. This graph monitors the current rise or fall of expected legalization.

Recent Activity
Future outlook of online poker is bleak in Georgia. There have been no bills introduced in the legislature for legalization of online gambling. There is even no discussion at any forum to push ahead for such legalization. The best thing that can be said about the outlook of online poker in Georgia is that there have been no arrests made for playing poker online. In comparison, gambling raids followed by arrests is not uncommon for land poker games as reported in this article on Patch.com[A].

Poker Tournaments Online

Current Gambling Laws in Georgia

In the Official Code of Georgia[B], gambling laws are covered under Chapter 12 of Title 16 which reads, “Offenses against public health and morals”. Article 2 covers gambling in Part 1 and bingo in Part 2. Section 16-12-20 defines a bet as “an agreement that, dependent upon chance even though accompanied by some skill, one stands to win or lose something of value”. Insurance and contests of only skill are specifically exempted.

Under Section 16-12-21 a person commits the offense of gambling when he places a bet. This section describes different types of bets including, “Plays and bets for money or other thing of value at any game played with cards, dice, or balls.” The section goes on to state that a person who commits the offense of gambling shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. An aggravated gambling offense is a felony. Under section 13-8-3 gambling contracts are void and, “money paid or property delivered upon a gambling consideration may be recovered from the winner by the loser”.

Bingo for charity is permitted. State Lottery has been permitted under Chapter 27 of Title 50.

Section 16-12-28 of the Official Code of Georgia states, “A person who knowingly communicates information as to bets, betting odds, or changes in betting odds or who knowingly installs or maintains equipment for the transmission or receipt of such information with the intent to further gambling commits the offense of communicating gambling information.”

History of Gambling in Georgia

Land Based Poker in Georgia

Georgia covers the apparent loophole of poker being a game of skill in its laws. Gambling is defined as placing a bet on an outcome even if some skill is involved, and is illegal. Only if the event is based on 100% skill then it would not be gambling. And it would be difficult to convince any court that poker is based on 100% skill.

Poker at home would be legal only if there are no stakes or prizes involved. It has to be played purely for fun. Some states that have banned poker commercially, allow home poker with stakes if no rake is taken. Georgia is not among them.

Though some forms of gambling have been allowed for charity, poker is not included.

In Georgia there is only one place to play live poker. That is on the cruise ships that host cash games and tournaments. There is a charge to be paid for boarding the cruise ships.

Gambling Laws in Georgia

Live Poker Tournaments Schedule

Georgia is one of the most anti-gambling states in America. Land casinos, including Native American casinos, are illegal under the sections described earlier. The exception is cruise ship gambling. In 2011, the Georgia Lottery Corporation commissioned a report[C] that recommended setting up three casinos to generate $1 billion a year for the state. No action was taken on the report.

Though horse racing is permitted and is popular[D] to some extent, wagering on horse races is currently prohibited because it involves gambling. However a bill, HB 4[E], was introduced in the House for the 2013-14 session of the general assembly but nothing came to fruition. Lawmakers in the state continue to seek to allow regulated pari-mutuel wagering on horse races.

In 2000, there was a boom of video poker machines in Georgia. Though video poker machines are gambling devices and illegal, the operators found a loophole in the state law that allowed hosts to legally pay out prizes, including cash, for video poker wins. The legislature passed a law in 2002, explicitly banning video poker machines. The operators went to court and a Superior Court judge held the law illegal. Ultimately, the Supreme Court of Georgia overturned the decision and the ban went into effect. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ran an article in 2011 that reported video poker machines were rampant despite being illegal.

Georgia residents can engage in casino gambling on cruise ships like the Emerald Princess Casino. Patrons have to be 21 or more to enter these cruise casinos. These cruise casinos offer the complete range of gambling activities that include slots, blackjack, craps, roulette, poker, and video poker. The ships cannot offer gambling while docked. They have to sail three miles into International waters where casino gambling is legal. One of the cruise ships operates from Savannah and the other from Historic Brunswick.

Nonprofit, tax exempt organizations as defined under section 16-12-51 of the Official Code of Georgia are allowed to legally conduct bingo games and raffles to help raise money for charity. They are required to obtain a license from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The terms and conditions of the operations are specified in the statute. People under 18 years of age can participate in raffle or bingo games as long as the prize is not more than $5 in wholesale value.

The state lottery was established in 1992 and started operating in 1993. It is conducted by the Georgia Lottery Corporation[F] with headquarters in Atlanta. Georgia residents have to be 18 or more in order to buy lottery tickets. According to the laws and regulations governing the lottery, half the money collected will have to be paid back as prizes, a third will be “used to support improvements and enhancements for educational purposes and programs” and the balance will be for meeting operational expenses. A number of games and draws are restricted for Georgia residents, but the Georgia Lottery Corporation also subscribes to the national Powerball and Mega Millions.

In 2012, Georgia became one of the first states to start selling lottery tickets online. A report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution informs that this was enabled by the Federal government stating that the Wire Act applied only to sports betting. The legislature granted approval in July 2012 and online sales commenced in November 2012.

An article in the Savannah Morning News reported that in March 2013 the Georgia legislature permitted the operation of bona fide coin operated amusement machines that did not pay out prizes in cash or kind. These machines would be under the oversight of the Georgia Lottery Corporation. Tickets sales in the 2016 fiscal year were $4.55 billion, an all-time record.

Author:Joseph Falchetti (twitter)
(C) Copyright PokerWebsites.com, 2018

References and Citations

Gambling is legal in Georgia, and poker in particular. Gambling has been actively developed in the country for more than 20 years already.

The modern history of the gaming industry in Georgia originates in the Soviet Union. After Georgia gained independence, the country's gaming industry started with a clean slate: casinos began to open across the country; there were no gambling laws as such at all.

Serious attempts to curb gambling were made only in the early 2000's. After the resignation of President Mikheil Saakashvili Georgia's new government announced their plans to prohibit gambling partially or completely. Since then for about two years have passed, no significant changes in the industry are observed.

Where to play poker in Georgia?

There are more than two dozen major casinos in the country. Most of them are located at the hotels in the resort towns, mainly Batumi, as well as in the capital -- Tbisili.

It would be an exaggeration to say that casinos, arcades and poker clubs are everywhere in Georgia; however, gambling advertisements greet guests already at the airport. This makes the difference between Georgia and many European countries, such as the Baltic States, for example.

The largest casino in Georgia «Adjara» is located in the capital. The company deals with all kinds of gambling, including poker. Particularly popular is «Adjarabet» poker club. Georgian online poker-room with the same name is one of the ten largest in the world, the average number of players - 1,250.

Another gaming network flourishing in the country is 'Europe-Bet'. Slot clubs and totalizators under that brand work in a dozen cities in Georgia. However, the poker club 'Europe-Bet' is active in Tbilisi so far.

Among the other popular names is casino 'Shangri-La' in the capital. Recently, in early 2014, hotel and casino 'Golden Palace” was opened in Batumi.

At the end of 2013 RPT Russian Poker Open took place in the capital for the first time. Players were greeted with open arms, it was a full house. Georgia had never hosted international poker tournaments before.

Who plays poker in Georgia?

Poker fans should visit Tbilisi first. There are three poker clubs at once: «Adjara» (in the casino), «Adjarabet» and «Europe-Bet». No other city has such a variety of poker establishments.

In the Georgian poker clubs stakes are usually low: 0.5 / 1, 1/2, 2/5 GEL - ie not exceeding ~ 1/3$. Rarely it is 5/5 or 5/10 GEL. Tables are getting full by the evening.

Usually there are fewer tournaments: they are held every day or several times a week; buy-ins rarely exceed 100 GEL ($ 60), many rebuyers.

Playing fields are mostly weak, there are many over-age players. Poker in Georgia is still being developed, that’s why the regulars don’t abound.

One striking feature of Georgian poker clubs is a low rake with related lower costs (food, for example). Quality does not suffer and meets all the European standards. Staff is experienced, well trained, there is no language barrier or it is easily overcome.

Georgia is surrounded by countries where gambling is banned or severely restricted: Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia. Therefore, every year the country hosts tens or even hundreds of thousands of players. Furthermore, a lot of gaming companies belong to Turkish businessmen.