Georgian Patriarchate Seeks Talks on Gambling Law Passed by Parliament
By Messenger Staff
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Georgia's Orthodox Patriarchate says it was caught off guard by legislation allowing international gambling tournaments in the country and will discuss the changes with bishops before announcing its position.
The comments came after Parliament fast-tracked the bill, initiated by Georgian Dream lawmakers, and approved it at the third reading with 73 votes in favor and five against.
During two days of debate, lawmakers raised the minimum share of foreign participants in international gambling tournaments from 70% to 80% and removed a proposed GEL 150,000 fine for organizing a tournament without authorization.
Under the new law, tournaments must be organized by a casino, with the prize pool guaranteed in advance. Events may be held at casino-licensed venues or elsewhere. Organizers using a club table exclusively for a tournament with a prize pool exceeding GEL 3 million will be exempt from the gambling business fee for that table.
Income earned by individuals through participation will be taxed at 20%, while foreign nationals will be exempt from tax on income from tournaments with prize pools exceeding GEL 3 million. Violations of licensing conditions will carry a GEL 50,000 fine.
Archpriest Andria Jaghmaidze, head of the Patriarchate's Public Relations Service, told InterpressNews that the legislative package came as a complete surprise because the Church had not been consulted beforehand.
"Since 2017, the Georgian Patriarchate has been a direct initiator and one of the key participants in the process aimed at developing and introducing regulations in the gambling sector," Jaghmaidze said, noting that the Church had conducted research, collected statistical data and presented its findings publicly before the government adopted a package of gambling regulations.
"The Patriarchate has not yet held extensive discussions on the issue. However, I can tell you that the Patriarchate cannot remain on the sidelines of such a process," he said.
Jaghmaidze added that he largely agreed with the arguments presented by the Public Defender and hoped dialogue with the bill's sponsors would produce a positive outcome.
Metropolitan Anton of Vani and Baghdati also stated that the Patriarchate would discuss the legislation at a meeting on October 30 and announce a common position afterward.
"From what I can see on the surface, I somehow perceive certain risks. The day after tomorrow, we will gather at the Patriarchate and express our views. We are not familiar with the details," he said, adding that the bishops would examine how the legislation would work before reaching a conclusion.
Metropolitan Anton cautioned against drawing conclusions before the proposal had been fully examined, saying some aspects remained unclear. He also emphasized that the Church would not ignore the issue.
"Everything needs to be explained because, to be honest, sometimes the opposition portrays even an ordinary issue in such a way that you would think a bomb was about to go off. But when you look into it, that turns out not to be the case. Sometimes, the opposite is true," he said.
He said relations between the government and the Patriarchate remained cooperative, noting that the authorities had taken the Church's concerns into account on other matters, including electronic money. The Patriarchate will consult with bishops before announcing its position on the gambling legislation.
