Georgia's parliament has approved a framework for international gambling tournaments in its third and final reading. The legislation passed by 73 votes to five and creates a defined route for licensed casinos to organise events aimed largely at foreign participants.
The final law requires at least 80% of entrants to be foreign nationals and the organiser to guarantee the prize fund in advance. Yogonet reports that lawmakers raised the foreign-participation threshold from 70% during deliberations, making earlier accounts of the draft obsolete.
A qualifying event with a prize pool above GEL3 million may receive an exemption from the gambling-business fee applied to the tables used for the tournament. The rules also allow an authorised organiser to stage an event away from its normal casino premises, provided the licensing and eligibility conditions remain satisfied.
Supporters present the measure as an off-season tourism tool, while the incentive is limited to large events with a predominantly international field. SiGMA World says the law applies to international gambling tournaments rather than poker alone, despite poker events being a likely use of the new framework.
