'We didn’t even get chance to ask' – Georgia’s new gambling law takes Patriarchate by surprise
The head of the Georgian Patriarchate’s public relations service, Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, says the Patriarchate was caught by surprise when parliament fast-tracked amendments to the law on gambling. According to him, the process moved so quickly that Patriarchate representatives had no opportunity to examine the draft law in detail or ask questions.
“Events moved so quickly that we didn’t even get a chance to ask anything,” Jagmaidze said.
He said the Patriarchate plans to look into the matter more closely and discuss it with the authorities. The archpriest explained that the Patriarch was in western Georgia while parliament considered the bill, which meant the Patriarchate could not properly engage in the process.
Jagmaidze expressed particular concern about the state of gambling in the country. He believes the authorities and the Patriarchate should discuss ways to reduce the harm caused by the industry.
“The current situation with gambling is already alarming. It would be good to discuss with the authorities how to reduce the harm gambling causes to the population. We need to talk about setting up and funding rehabilitation centres. Gambling addiction is a condition that requires psychological support,” he said.
In the archpriest’s view, the authorities should also discuss the minimum age for players and how they enforce existing regulations. He added that previous efforts to introduce regulations aimed at reducing harm had taken around four years and involved a working group from the Patriarchate.
“It took us around four years to introduce regulations aimed at reducing harm. A working group from the Patriarchate took part in the process. But parliament passed this new law in just two days last week. So there are a great many questions,” Jagmaidze stressed.
What the amendments involve
Georgia’s parliament approved a package of amendments to the law on gambling on 28 October 2026. The changes allow international casinos to organise international gambling tournaments.
Under the draft law, an international gambling tournament is a competition in which at least 80% of participants hold foreign citizenship.
The amendments exempt casinos from paying gambling business tax on a club table if they use it exclusively for an international gambling tournament with a prize pool exceeding 3 million lari (around $1 million). Organisers can still earn revenue from hosting the tournament. They can hold these competitions either inside casino premises or elsewhere.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze responded to questions from Patriarchate representatives about the bill. He said the amendment was not significant and did not warrant a broad public debate.
According to Kobakhidze, the changes concern a specific type of international tournament, including poker competitions broadcast on international sports channels. He explained that the amendment simply introduces a specific tax framework for such tournaments and does not fundamentally change the existing rules.
“There was no need for a broad discussion on this issue at all. For example, I myself knew nothing about it. That shows how insignificant the amendment is in substance,” Kobakhidze said.
He claimed he only learned about the bill after parliament had already introduced it.
