Georgia

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Learn about gambling in Georgia

Simple answer? No – you wouldn’t be on the good side of the law. There are some terribly old gambling laws including one that allows anyone to sue in order to recover losses pertaining to gambling if the sufferer of those losses doesn’t do so inside only six months.

You read it correctly.

However… It is still not explicitly illegal to partake in online poker activities as a Georgia resident providing the sites are offshore with payment processing done legally in an allowing country and state/region.

Georgia Gambling Laws

Casino gambling has received the backing of casino tycoon and billionaire Tilman Fertitta that would see not one but two regions of Georgia benefit from two senate bills – Senate 79 and House 158 being sponsored and endorsed by Senator Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta and state Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, respectively. The process is being watched like an eagle by Fertitta’s firm to reflect his investments in the capital and having a couple extra casinos here may be what the state needs to give it a strong push towards the eventual legalization of online poker and online gambling in general.

Online gambling, similarly to gambling in real, land-based poker rooms is most accurately described as ‘stringent’, whereby the hosting of gambling games is not allowed by the state itself resulting in no online poker sites hosted and regulated in Georgia. Players can still however play online poker sites if their licensed have been issued legally by another government that allows online poker activities legally.

The Current State of Online Gambling in Georgia

Georgia State Flag
Georgia
US State, abbreviated “GA
Not Regulated
  • Population: 4.48 million
  • Legal Online Poker Age: 21
  • Legal Poker Room Age: N/A
  • Capital: Atlanta
  • Governor: Nathan Deal (R)

In the gambling scene, Georgia unfortunately doesn’t exactly win any awards for being the most prolific host, even though there is activity in state lottery, charity gambling events and cruises showing interest in the industry and while there isn’t a strong approach to prohibiting gambling or poker, there is on the other hand little effort to push it forward either.

There was a legislation introduced in January 2017 addressing if daily fantasy sports belonged under the banner of prohibited state gambling, sparking interest in the state community of it being a game of skill or chance and ultimately determining whether it is indeed considered gambling.

The Legal Age for Gambling in Georgia The minimum age for residents of Georgia that want to participate in online poker is 21. In general, the same applies for all forms of legal gambling.

Georgia Gambling Options

Although online poker isn’t allowed officially in Georgia (just yet), interested players can indulge in the state lottery which has proven over the years to be an increasingly popular event; especially when the pot grows larger than usual.

Will Online Poker be Regulated in Georgia?

Previous efforts to legalize gambling in the past have been ineffective in the political scene and it doesn’t look like Georgia will see regulation any time soon but if most states were to hypothetically bring in online poker as part of a regulated and legal federal regime, online poker could then be approached, treated and played similarly to how the current Georgia state lottery is and be not only accepted by the public but used as a financial tool for the state’s economic gain.

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Keep in Mind We are not legal professionals so be sure to educate yourself on responsible gambling and consult a lawyer where necessary in applicable matters, using this page only as an opinionated guide.
Adam, our resident poker guru, has extensive knowledge on both sides of the table. When he’s not playing on US poker sites, you will find him busy revising strategies to give him an edge over his opponents. He is also a firm believer that poker allows individuals to grow intellectually. And so, he has decided to put a significant effort in helping others catch themselves up and meet the highest standards of poker. A bit of a dab hand himself, Adam is active in several real money cardrooms, which he frequents not only for the sake of a review but also to test strategies.