Relocation to Georgia: taxes, poker rooms, community

What is the legal status of poker in Georgia

Georgia is one of the few former USSR states where the gambling business has been legalized. Dozens of casinos and poker clubs operate in the country. 

Gambling is permitted in Georgia, but poker faces problems due to the specifics of tax legislation

There's also the option to play online on local platforms, such as Adjarabet or Europebet. Most international brands also accept residents of the country: POKEROK, 888Poker, RedStar Poker, Pokerdom, CoinPoker, Winamax. Before the changes in tax legislation, the country regularly hosted stops of international festivals: World Poker Tour, Russian Poker Tour, Eurasian Poker Tour. 

The legal foundation for the gambling entertainment industry was laid in 2005. That year, the Georgian parliament passed the law "On the Organization of Lotteries, Gambling, and Other Prize Games." In recent years, conservative sentiment has been growing in the country. There are proposals in favor of banning gambling in Georgia. The state is in no hurry to shut down a profitable business, but it is tightening the conditions. Georgia raised the cost of licenses and introduced substantial fines. At the same time, the age requirement for the country's citizens was increased: only Georgians over 25 are allowed into casinos. For violating the rule, an establishment is fined $3,700.

To obtain legal status, a company must register and obtain a license from a specialized department of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia. Its cost reaches $1,800,000. Many online poker platforms declined legalization and remained in the "gray zone."

What taxes do poker players pay

In Georgia, tax is paid on winnings over 1,000 lari ($375 at the time of writing). Amounts up to 1,000 lari are not taxed. If a poker player wins more, the state takes 20% of the excess amount. There's no need to go to the tax office and file a report yourself: the game organizer withholds the payment amount. Here's how the system works in practice: a poker player won 20,000 lari on Adjarabet. The tax office will ignore the first thousand. From the remaining 19,000 lari, the room will withhold 20%. In the end, 15,200 lari will be credited to the player's account. 

The high tax burden forced many poker festivals to leave Georgia. Previously, the country hosted WPT and RPT stops. From 2017 to 2025, major tournament series did not come to Georgia. The trend was broken by the Eurasian Poker Tour with a prize pool of $800,000.

The winner of the EAPT Main Event in Batumi — Evgeniy Kim — took home $68,000

With winnings on sites without a Georgian license, the situation is more complicated. Poker rooms don't report to Georgia's Revenue Service. If you want to legalize your winnings, you can pay 20% of the amounts withdrawn over the year.

Which rooms accept residents of Georgia

Most international platforms register players from Georgia. The ones that don't operate in the country are: PokerStars, Unibet, and Guts Poker. We've compiled brief information about the available rooms in a table.

POKEROK. The industry leader with: hundreds of thousands of players online, record-breaking tournament series, and a weekly $100,000 freeroll. The room launched in 2016. It's part of the Good Game network. Every day, the room organizes 1,000 tournaments. About 10% of POKEROK's schedule is dedicated to Omaha events. Several times a year, POKEROK holds online festivals with guarantees starting from $100,000,000. In 2024, Good Game acquired the rights to the World Series of Poker brand. Over the next five years, the network will sponsor the WSOP and award bracelets in online tournaments. 

RedStar Poker. The leading room of the iPoker network. It has accepted players since 2005. In the evening, it gathers tens of thousands of people at the tables. RSP's daily schedule includes hundreds of tournaments. Almost all MTTs run under NL Holdem rules. RedStar Poker doesn't organize large festivals. RSP awarded its record prize pool in the winter of 2025. The iPoker Network allocated €10,000,000 to its largest series. On the other hand, RedStar regularly holds local festivals with guarantees of up to €5,000,000.

Pokerdom. A popular Russian brand with a solid online presence. It has operated since 2014. It offers a wide selection of tournaments of various levels. Pokerdom held its most expensive series in 2024. In its anniversary festival, Pokerdom awarded 150,000,000 rubles. Every month, the room organizes several leaderboards for tournament players. The combined prize pool of the promotion equals 1,700,000 rubles.

PokerKing. A room of the Winning Poker network. It started in 2011. At peak time, up to 20,000 people play at PokerKing's tables. It holds hundreds of tournaments a day. Its emphasis is on No-Limit Texas Hold'em. It regularly organizes online festivals with solid prize pools. The record is held by the Online Super Series XL with a $60,000,000 guarantee. Several times a year, PokerKing holds The Venom tournaments. The prize pool of such an MTT reaches up to $10,000,000. The tournament champion takes home upwards of $1,000,000. 

PokerStars left the Georgian market in 2022. The reason was tax increases and an advertising ban. The other offshore rooms continue to operate

888Poker. A British room with a 25-year history. It offers a good ratio of guarantees to the number of players in tournaments. Every day, the platform holds over 100 MTTs. There are no tournaments with astronomical prize pools at 888Poker. The room is better suited for low- and mid-stakes players. 888Poker also doesn't organize large tournament series. The record of recent years belongs to XL Autumn with a $2,000,000 guarantee. We should note the Freerolls Festival promotion. It allows you to participate daily in free tournaments with decent prize pools.

Other rooms also register players from Georgia. Among them: Winamax, CoinPoker, TigerGaming, WPT Global, Stake, Up Poker, Phenom Poker, BCPoker. 

Local brands also operate in the country. Let's take a closer look at them.

Europebet or Betsson Georgia. Betsson Group bought out Europebet in 2015, but only changed the branding in 2025. Currently, the platform uses both names. The Georgian room accepts players from: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan. The platform doesn't register users from Russia and Ukraine. Betsson Georgia develops all types of gambling entertainment: poker, sports betting, online casino. The room offers newcomers a first deposit bonus of up to $375.

On the platform you can play: cash, tournaments, and Spins. Every day, Europebet organizes about 20 MTTs. They don't impress with large prize pools: the guarantee of the largest Wednesday tournament equals $375. Every day, the room holds 2 freerolls with a prize pool of $375. 

Adjarabet. It's part of a bookmaker of the same name. The company has operated since 1998. Previously, the room was part of the poker networks: Dollaro and Microgaming Poker Network. Now Adjarabet is an independent platform. The room's audience prefers cash. There are no large tournaments in the schedule. Nor any major promotions. Adjarabet gives newcomers a first deposit bonus of up to $20.

The local license is the main advantage of Europebet, Adjarabet, and Leader-bet. In terms of bonuses and tournament guarantees, the rooms lag far behind international brands

Leader-bet. The company has operated since 2014. Leader-bet pays secondary attention to poker. The platform's priority is sports betting. The poker room offers: cash, tournaments, and Spins. New players are attracted with a 100% first deposit bonus of up to $375 and several freerolls. The tournament situation is dismal, even compared to the guarantees of Adjarabet and Europebet.

Where to play offline

The update to gambling legislation hit live poker. The 20% tax made the classic game unprofitable. That's why Georgian casinos abandoned poker in favor of other gambling entertainment. A paradoxical situation has developed: there are dozens of gambling establishments in the country, but live poker is found almost nowhere. In the past, Hold'em tables were offered by: Shangri-La, Royal Poker Club, Eclipse Poker Club, Adjara Poker Club, Mandarin Poker Club.

Live festivals are gradually returning to Georgia. The first swallow was the Eurasian Poker Tour in 2024 in Batumi. In April 2026, the fourth series of EAPT in 2 years will take place. It will again be hosted by Eclipse. The festival's guarantee will exceed $1,000,000. 34 tournaments will be held as part of the series. The Main Event will award $350,000. Alongside the tournaments, Eclipse offers around-the-clock cash.

The Eclipse casino is making enormous efforts to bring live poker back to the country 

Local player communities can give you up-to-date information about poker in Georgia. Its proximity to Russia, reasonable cost of living, and a tolerant attitude toward gambling have made the country an attractive place to relocate. You can make inquiries on forums of specialized poker resources or in regional Telegram chats.

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FAQ

Is online poker allowed in Georgia?

Yes, the country's laws make it possible to obtain a license and launch a poker room. Operating in Georgia are: Europebet, Adjarabet, and Leader-bet. 

Which international brands accept players from Georgia?

Most platforms in the industry register the country's residents. Among them: PokerOK, PokerKing, RedStar Poker, WPT Global, Winamax, Pokerdom, TigerGaming. Those that don't accept users from Georgia: PokerStars, Unibet, and Guts Poker.

Do you have to pay tax on winnings?

It depends on the amount. Winnings up to 1,000 lari are of no interest to the Revenue Service. Larger prizes are taxed at 20%. It's taken from the excess amount. The mandatory payment is withheld by the organizer. The player doesn't fill out any declaration.