When it comes to gambling, both offline and online, there is hardly any state in the USA that comes close to Georgia in terms of strictness. In a nutshell – while other states have Gaming Boards or other special authorities regulating real money wagering on games of chance and sports betting, Georgia delegated this mission to the county sheriffs and the Bureau of Investigations in Georgia.

Yup. Not much room to maneuver.

So, what exactly can the residents of Georgia do when it comes to gambling real money? Well, there is a State Lottery, which is run by the government, plus charitable gambling. This includes Bingo and raffles. Plus, a couple of cruise ships depart from the ports of Georgia into international waters and then its passengers can play slots and table games.

At the same time, when in 2020 a local newspaper poller some 1,000 residents of the state, 64% of them voted in favor of legalizing casino games, and 57% said it is high time for Georgia to legalize sports betting. In January of 2021, the lawmakers introduced a bill that might make the online Sportsbook official, but we are sensing many major battles between the lobbyists and the lawmakers ahead.

Given how strictly the state regulates land-based gambling, it is not surprising that it said “nay” to online casinos, too. However, residents of Georgia are more than welcome to register in lots of international lobbies. The ones that we have in our database are all certified and reputable, as well as specifically tailored to meet the needs of American players in terms of software, banking, and games.

Live games in Georgia-friendly casinos

The list of games available to the niche of American players is smaller than the collection of releases for major markets like Europe or Asia. At the same time, we are seeing positive dynamics in the last couple of years. The list of providers expanded, and so did the selection of live dealer games.

The biggest selection of offers is for live blackjack. This game is represented equally well in portfolios of studios like ViG, Arrow’s Edge, Vivo Gaming, and Fresh Deck, as well as others. The range of options covers VIP variations, as well as classic modes.

Following live blackjack in terms of diversity of options is live roulette, with its American and European variations dominating the US-targeted roster of developers. There are also quite a few versions of French Roulette across different portfolios.

As far as live baccarat and table pokers go, the choice is currently scarce, and game shows are definitely majorly under-the-radar too at the moment.

Crypto or Fiat Deposits?

Both options will be available to gamblers from Georgia. Each of the online operators listed in our database has USD among accepted currencies, and almost all cashiers are compatible with Visa and MasterCard, and more specifically to the American market – Amex or Discover.

Those of you who already tried to gamble in international lobbies know that while a casino can be compatible with cards, it does not necessarily mean that you will be able to deposit. Quite often, if an American bank sees a transaction as one connected to gambling, it will block the deposit.

This does not lead to any troubles but it is quite annoying.

This is why thousands of Georgia-based gamblers opt-in for crypto. Thankfully, there are lots of variations to choose from – Litecoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum, as well as the cornerstone of crypto, Bitcoin.

Some of the many reasons to convert to digital cash are – its speedy withdrawals, low fees, and no bank-related bureaucracy.

The fact that Georgia is long overdue for revising and liberalizing its gambling laws becomes even more obvious when looking at the statistics. Interactive gambling, which is not legalized within the state, takes about 60 million USD in gross wins per year to offshore online casinos. Players spent most of their time playing casino games in international virtual venues. This is followed by Sportsbook gaming.

While the rest of the states in the US are actively embracing the thaw, which is the aftermath of overthrown PASPA, Georgia is in its early stages of negotiating new rules and laws regarding certain forms of betting. Meanwhile, here’s the breakdown of what the residents of the state can count on offline.

Cruise Casinos

While there are no land-based gambling venues, the state has a couple of cruise ships with casinos onboard departing from the state ports into international waters. There, players can indulge in slot machines and table games.

Lottery in Georgia

Monopolized by the state, Georgia’s Lottery generates more than 2 billion USD in revenues yearly. Players need to be 18 years to participate.

The lottery pays 35% net proceeds to the Lottery for Education Account, with 10% as a scholarship shortfall reserve account.

Charitable Gambling in Georgia

Only licensed organizations are allowed to hold gambling events, and while many other states issue seasonal or even yearly licenses, in Georgia, an organization needs to apply to hold an event. If the venue decides to hold raffles, then the county sheriff should issue the license, and the application costs 100 USD. If it is Bingo, licenses are issued by the Direction of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. The fee is also 100 USD.