Civil Organizations Call for Repeal of Law on Betting Tournaments

Civil and professional organizations are calling for the repeal of the law adopted in connection with the international betting games tournament. The statement was released on October 28.

Parliament also adopted the law on an expedited basis on October 28. The Ombudsman and the Patriarchate opposed the draft law.

Organizations working on public health, social protection, human rights and youth issues express extreme concern over the planned amendments to the law "On Lotteries, Gambling and Prize-Based Games". The amendments provide for the holding of international betting tournaments in Georgia.

The authors of the statement believe that organizing the tournaments means mass promotion of these events and the involvement of the population, especially adolescents and young people. According to official statistics cited by them, the turnover of the gambling sector in Georgia has reached a record level (more than GEL 88 billion) and accounts for more than a third of the turnover of the entire business sector.

According to the organizations, ludomania has become an epidemic in the country, causing the bankruptcy of thousands of families, deepening poverty, domestic violence, social and mental degradation of the younger generation and, in the most severe cases, suicide. They also point out that the gambling sector is considered worldwide a high-risk area for illicit financial flows and money laundering, and that liberalization contradicts international standards (FATF, MONEYVAL).

The organizations demand that the draft law be suspended immediately and repealed. They also call for stricter enforcement of existing regulations, including blocking illegal and foreign gaming platforms in the online space, controlling the illegal transfer of accounts and verifying the player every time.

Another demand is the introduction of a national program for the prevention and treatment of ludomania, under which the targeted taxes paid by the gambling business would be used for free rehabilitation and social support of dependent persons.

The statement is signed by: "Mothers Against Gambling", the Civil Initiatives Platform, the Foundation for Health Promotion and Education, the Alliance for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention, the Georgian International Development Agency, the International Association of Young Diplomats, and "Teachers for a Healthy Future".