Georgia built one of the region’s most liquid gambling markets, then closed the door on how operators can talk about it. Since the 2021 amendments to the Law of Georgia on Advertising took effect, promoting a casino, sportsbook, lottery, or bingo operation – by any medium, through any channel, including electronic networks – is presumptively illegal.
The ban looks absolute. It isn’t. Five narrow, carefully worded exceptions still let operators reach players, and understanding exactly where those exceptions begin and end is now a core compliance question for anyone running, marketing, or investing in a Georgian gambling business.
The General Prohibition
The starting position is strict: dissemination of advertising relating to gambling, sportsbooks, lotteries, and bingo, and their organizers, is prohibited in any form, through any means, including electronic communication networks. This rule applies uniformly across television, radio, print, outdoor media, and digital platforms.
Five Lawful Exceptions – And Where They Bite
Licensed online platforms
Advertising may run on websites where online casino games, slot games, and sportsbook products are themselves lawfully authorized. Operators expanding into digital marketing should pair this with a clear view of the underlying permit framework – see our companion analysis of Georgia’s Online Gambling Regulatory Amendments for licensing fees and compliance timelines.
Sports sponsorship
Advertising tied to sponsorship of a sports event, competition, or organization is permitted, but only as visual advertising confined to the venue’s inner perimeter – banners and player uniforms qualify; broadcast spots do not.
On-premises visual advertising
A single visual advertisement, capped at 10 square metres, may sit on the premises where gambling is lawfully conducted. One ad per premises – not per operator, not per floor.
International transit points
Advertising is permitted at airports open to international traffic and at border customs checkpoints, reflecting Georgia’s position as a regional gambling-tourism hub.
Signage
Georgian law treats a sign as legally distinct from an advertisement. Each operator may post one identification sign, up to 10 square metres, on the venue perimeter – provided it informs rather than promotes.
These exceptions are exhaustive, not illustrative. Anything outside them – influencer content, paid search, app-install campaigns, push notifications to non-licensed-site users – falls back into the general prohibition.
Enforcement and Penalties
The Revenue Service of Georgia administers permits and supervises compliance. Under the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia, a first violation of the advertising or signage rules triggers a fine of GEL 10,000 against both the party placing the advertisement and the party commissioning it; repeat violations double the fine to GEL 20,000 – per violation, per party.
The exposure compounds quickly across a multi-channel campaign.
What This Means for Operators and Investors
The ban has not visibly slowed the market – operators have shifted spend toward sponsorship and on-site formats rather than withdrawing from marketing altogether.
Regulators read the exceptions narrowly, and a campaign that blends sponsorship visuals with off-perimeter digital amplification can cross the line without an obvious trigger.
For foreign investors structuring a Georgian gambling entity, advertising compliance now sits alongside licensing and taxation as a front-line due-diligence item – not an afterthought addressed after launch.
How NOMOS GEORGIA Can Help
We advise gambling operators, marketing agencies, and investors on structuring compliant advertising and sponsorship programs under Georgian law, from campaign-level review to full regulatory due diligence ahead of market entry.
If your marketing plan touches Georgia, a short compliance review now is considerably cheaper than a GEL 20,000 fine later.
Contact our regulatory team to discuss your campaign.
