Georgia is essentially a land-based gambling-free state. You won’t find any tribal or commercial casinos here and pari-mutuel betting isn’t available. Some forms of charity gambling are allowed and the state has a lottery, which has been launched back in the nineties.
As you’ve probably already guessed, this means that Georgia residents don’t have any intrastate iGaming sites to play on. All in all, if you want to gamble in Georgia, your best bet would be to sign up with one of the numerous US-facing offshore gambling sites and online casinos that accept Georgia players.
Georgia Online Casinos
Despite the fact that Georgia doesn’t have a gambling industry, the local gambling regulations aren’t all that restrictive, at least from an individual gambler’s perspective. Taking part in unlicensed real money games as a player is considered a misdemeanor. Georgia also prohibits the transfer of any gambling-related information.
However, playing on offshore online casinos that accept Georgia players isn’t explicitly prohibited and the local authorities simply ignore the issue of online play. This means that people who frequent offshore casinos, poker rooms, or sportsbooks have nothing to worry about, as the risk of facing prosecution is pretty much non-existent.
If you’re a poker player, choosing the right site usually boils down to pick the network that attracts the highest traffic. This allows you to enjoy 24/7 cash games and gives you access to a wider variety of tournaments with bigger guaranteed prize pools. If you’re looking for a casino or a sportsbook, we recommend sticking with the most trustworthy and most popular sites, as they’re able to afford to give their customers more lucrative bonuses and a wider selection of games and/or markets.
Gambling in Georgia
Georgia Casinos
Section 16-12-20 of Georgia’s gambling law outlines and bans gambling on all games of chance involving cards, dice, and balls. Maintenance of gambling devices is also prohibited.
Even with all these explicit bans, Georgian residents have been finding ways to gamble for years. One of the most popular methods is to board a casino boat and sail three miles off the coast of the US where international waters law allows gambling. A word of warning to players: since boat casinos only accept wagers in international waters, they aren’t required to follow payback percentages or house edge regulations. There are currently two casino boats operating in Georgia:
- The Millionaire’s Casino Boat, which docks in Savannah
- The Emerald Princess Casino, which docks in Brunswick
In 2012, the Georgia Senate voted in favor of building a casino whose profits would pay for public education programs. Before the bill was signed, Governor Nathan Deal stopped it on the grounds that a larger majority was necessary for the legislation to pass.
Recently in 2018, Representative Ron Stephens of South Georgia drafted a bill which would allow for the creation of three super-sized casino/resort establishments. At the time of this writing, the bill was still being processed, so its results are unknown.
Players looking for offshore casinos can play online blackjack, craps, and other table games as well.
In 2013, Georgia started offering regulated video poker machines at most retail stores that sell lottery tickets.
Sportsbooks & Sports Betting in Georgia
Georgia state law explicitly prohibits sports betting. Currently, there are no publicly announced bills in the works to amend the state legislation.
The public and political scenes are putting up resistance against sports betting legalization in Georgia. As a result, the chances of this state legalizing sports betting in the near future are slim.
eSports and fantasy gambling
There is no differentiation between electronic sports (eSports) and traditional gambling in Georgia criminal law, and there does not appear to be a move to change this.
In March of 2018, House Bill 118 successfully made it onto the Senate floor but was then put on hold. Until further action is taken on BH 118, fantasy sports gambling will remain illegal in Georgia. Given the mounting resistance and the bill’s loss of momentum, the chances of fantasy gambling being legalized soon are moderate-to-low.
Animal racing
Gambling on animal racing such as dogs and horses is prohibited in Georgia. There are also no racing tracks located in the state.
Georgia Poker Games
Georgia residents may play poker within their homes and workplaces as long as no player buy-ins or valuables are being wagered.
It has become common practice in many bars in Georgia to host poker tournaments that award prizes to top contenders. Due to the wording of the state laws, these poker tournaments are legal as long as players don’t wager money during play and the bars only earn profit through selling drinks and food.
Gamblers can also choose from our list of recommended online casinos for excellent poker options.
Georgia Lottery
Although Georgia had a long stretch of banning lotteries, in 1992 an amendment to Article I, Section II of the Georgia State Constitution legalized them. Currently, Georgia runs a state lottery and allows most of the popular multi-state lottery games, such as:
- Powerball
- Mega Millions
- Cash4Life
However, not all notable multi-state lottery games can be played in Georgia. Popular games that are unavailable in this state include:
- Monopoly Millionaires’ Club
- Decades of Dollars
- Win for Life
- Lotto South
Georgia residents also have access to a wide variety of in-state lotteries, with games such as:
- Cash 3
- Cash 4
- Georgia Five
- Fantasy 5
- Keno
Lottery winners claim 45% of the prize money, while 35% goes to Georgia’s Lottery for Education fund. The remaining share of winnings returns to the establishments and organizations that operate the lottery. Players must claim their winnings within 180 days.
Bingo
Bingo and other charitable gaming events must be run by licensed, non-profit organizations such as churches, schools, and other civic establishments.
Prizes can include cash as long as the organizers comply with Georgia gambling regulations. Due to the legislation, most charitable gambling venues offer terrible payback percentages.
Bingo halls and events can be found all over Georgia.
Georgia Online Gambling FAQ
How do I gamble online for real money in Georgia?
Setting up an online gambling account is very easy. Open the site that you’d like to join in your web browser, click the registration button and fill out a short form by providing your basic personal information. If you’d like to gamble using real money, you’ll also have to submit some proof of your identity – in most cases, a scanned photo ID is more than enough.
Once you’re ready to make your first deposit, you should open the cashier menu, select the most convenient banking option and complete the transaction. The entire process is very similar to a typical internet shopping scenario.
How Do I Get My Money if I Win?
The money tied to your gambling account is always at your disposal, so you’re free to request a cash out whenever you deem necessary. The relevant options are available in the cashier menu – all you need to do is click the appropriate button, adjust the amount of money that you’d like to transfer, pick one of the supported methods and confirm the transaction.
Most requests take up to 48 hours to process, so if you go for a standard wire transfer you should receive your winnings within the space of 2 weeks.
What is the minimum age to gamble online in Georgia?
18 for both online and land-based gambling.
How do I open an account?
Click on the registration button, fill out all the necessary forms and that’s it. You’ll have to go through an identity check if you want to play for real money – in most cases submitting a scan of a photo ID is more than enough.
Where can I open my account from?
Georgia-based gamblers are free to register with most sites from anywhere in the US.
From where can I access Georgia online gambling sites?
Georgia-friendly sites accept connection from anywhere in the country and in some cases even from abroad. Please note that playing internet games of chance for money is a felony in Washington and Utah.
Where can I familiarize myself with the official regulations over gambling in Georgia?
All of the gambling-related regulations are listed in Georgia Statutes.
How do I deposit to my online gambling account?
The best method is to make a credit card payment using the cashier menu.
How do I withdraw my winnings?
Open the cashier menu, pick a cash out method, enter the amount of money that you’d like to withdraw and confirm your request. Most sites support check and wire transfer withdrawals.
Is my money safe?
The answer is yes as long as you stick to reputable sites. If you aren’t sure which sites can be trusted, we recommend you to stick to the safe sites listed here.