Traditionally, a bookmaker is a place in Georgia where anyone (who is legally entitled to place a bet) can watch their favorite sport, place bets live, and feel a clear victory if they win the game. In recent years, in the footsteps of modern technology, opportunities for placing online bets have emerged, web pages have emerged, and online space has been created, which has given more comfort and opportunity to the player.
Today, we have the luxury of choosing the best of the best. There are many online sports betting sites in Georgia that constantly care about the comfort of the player, his protection, and of course the pleasure. Read on to find the best sports betting sites in Georgia, how to use them, and what to expect.
While sports betting is not legal in Georgia, casino gambling is legal, although it has seen some changes recently, and not for the better. The tightening of legislation in the field of gambling is increasing: the Georgian government has changed the regulation, which has caused serious agitation in the country. In the autumn of 2021, Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili proposed reforms in the gambling business, which would result in a complete ban on gambling.
On December 22, the Parliament of Georgia approved the tightening of legislation for gambling operators. The decision of the government is supported by the opposition, local non-governmental organizations, and public figures to patriarchy. Yet too many companies, the gambling business association, the media, and the banking industry, oppose this.
The changes are quite extensive and have affected players’ finances, advertising, age, and social status. The tax rate for betting companies was maintained at 7% of total gaming revenue, but for online casino operators, it was increased to 10% GGR. To withdraw funds, the player will continue to pay 7%.
The law effectively prohibits gambling advertising – only sports events (leagues, federations) and the right to sponsor athletes are retained, although the Gambling Business Association has issued a statement suspending sponsorship.
Age and social restrictions introduced – for persons under 25 years of age, gambling recipients and public servants from the state are prohibited from playing. For example, on April 1, the Code of Ethics of the Emergency Management Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia enters into force, which regulates the relations between employees and the public. And one of the measures will be a complete ban on gambling.
According to the government’s plan, up to one million Georgian citizens over the age of 18 will be deprived of the opportunity to play. The major changes took effect on March 1, 2022.
Gambling is one of the main industries in Georgia: there are 6 operators in the country, about 6.4 thousand slot machines, and up to 100 gambling houses. Last year, gambling brought 78.4 million GEL (about $25 million) in tax revenue to the Georgian budget.
As for market size, 2021 data have not yet been published. In 2020, the total GGR of operators reached 1.5 billion GEL (slightly less than $500 million), and in 2022, the head of the country’s gambling business association, Giorgi Mamulaishvili, predicts 60-65% growth.
Most of the revenue came from local operators. In numbers, this is more than $450 million a year (about $150 million). Many TV channels and publishers will face serious financial difficulties after March 1.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Georgia?
Online betting is not legal in Georgia, although numerous attempts have been made to change it in recent times, and as things stand, it just might happen soon. Still, Georgians are free to bet with foreign betting sites at will.
Online betting markets are really very crowded, but in reality, it is good for players because the higher the demand for such bets the more the various offers from bookmakers increase. Of course, none of the sports betting sites in Georgia will be the best in everything. So, as we have already said, you have to adapt to the individual desires of those offers and conditions that online bookmakers offer.
For example, many betting sites in Georgia offer live streaming of sports, and allow you to bet live, some bookmakers offer special promotions for certain sporting events and increase your chances of winning, so if you want to bet during this period then you should visit these websites and make your forecasts.
You can add online bets to a variety of sports. A few years ago only a certain sport, for example, football, was possible to be bet on. But modern online space gives us new opportunities. Now the player bets on everything from golf to cricket.
The best sports betting sites in Georgia will offer dozens of different bets that are available for each individual match, for example in the case of a football match, the player makes bets on the first goal scored, the exact point, the number of corners, the goal scored by a particular player.
Bettors from Georgia must be able to visit the company’s website at different times of the day, especially during peak hours, and see that the website loads fast. Before you make the first bet, check the few links on the web page to make sure that the web page has no technical glitches and can work properly online.
While it is convenient for many players to make bets online from a personal computer, we must keep in mind that the rhythm of daily life does not allow us to do so. Therefore being able to access an online sports betting site in Georgia on iOS and Android platforms and place bets using smartphones is essential.
However, you should check to see if there are any restrictions associated with this alternative, as in most cases a certain minimum bet amount and/or fee is required to place bets over the phone with the operator.
You always need to learn from someone else’s example, look at what other users are saying about this particular bookmaker in Georgia, how much they trust the website, what their internal policies are, and how positive the customer feedback is. Based on this information, you will see the real picture and make a choice. Also, before you make a bet, find out about the team, their previous successes, and look at what their fans write about the team and how much they have a real chance of winning.
Have you ever heard the saying “so good that it is impossible to be true?” Some online sports betting sites in Georgia go beyond the imagination and make incredible offers to attract customers that are really so good that it is impossible to be true. It is therefore essential to find out how true this offer is and whether it is simply part of a PR campaign. Therefore, do not prioritize online bookmakers based on one-time offers, but go with bonuses and promotions that you can achieve and use with ease.
Always keep in mind that there are several online sites that offer 100%, 200%, or more bonuses to new users, however similar websites will not be able to stay in the gambling business for long. Owners of reputable online bookmakers fully understand that they can not stay in business if Incredibly high chances of winning will give the player.
Customer relationship form, service standards are nothing to worry about when you need help with something and you are wasting minutes or even hours waiting for that help, so it is important to check the online bookmaker pages to see what their situation is and how their services work to resolve specific issues.
You can use the online help service available on the site or email it in person. This will help you to check the quality of customer service, it is better to do it before you register on the website. The best sports betting sites in Georgia will have responsive customer support that will provide useful feedback at any time.
The possibility of withdrawing money even if everything is perfect is essential, and the sports betting sites in Georgia must meet all the criteria acceptable to you. In how many days you will be able to use the money earned is another important aspect.
The most common forms of payment by the bookmaker are Western Union, bank transfer, check, debit cards, and Bitcoin. Some online websites also offer new innovative cards where the process of withdrawing money or replenishing the balance is simplified.
For those who are new to online sports betting in Georgia, let’s consider in general what stages a player has to go through to win the bet from the emergence of the desire to place a bet. Internet bookmaker allows customers to play online without going to the bookmaker’s facility and participate in gambling process, place bets, and win according to the results of the game.
Registration by the player and placing a bet means that he agrees with the rules of conduct set by the company. Participation in gambling is prohibited for persons under 25 years of age. To register on the company’s website, the player first enters the registration window offered on the website and fills in the required fields for registration: name (so-called “username”), password, his/her ID number, date of birth, contact, and various personal data. After that the person confirms that he/she has read the terms and conditions and as a result, the system automatically registers the user.
Deposit money to your newly created account by using various payment options. The selected option will then be posted on the company website as an electronic ticket, which will be programmatically assigned a number. Online bookmakers in Georgia offer various offers to customers to make betting and payout easy for them.
Using a personal name and password, the user logs in and makes sports predictions. A player can add 1 or more positions to the current ticket, increase the odds, and win more. After adding a new game to the ticket, the user will see their betting slip displayed as it currently is – matches and markets selected, odds, and how much money will be won.
A pool has been conducted recently, asking the Georgians which sport is the most popular in the country. Hundreds of citizens answered the pool and these are the results:
Not all of these are available at all times at bookmakers, therefore, these are the most popular sports to bet on in Georgia:
Football was introduced to Georgia in the XX century in the city of Poti by English sailors. This game soon gained great popularity. The biggest triumph is considered to be two European champions and the Georgians made a great contribution to the victory of the USSR team.
As for club triumphs, Tbilisi "Dinamo" won the "European Cup Winners' Cup" in the 1980-81 season. As for modernity, the Georgian team is in somewhere around the 90th place in the world ranking. While it may not sound quite impressive, football is still the most popular sport, especially with bettors, as there are dozens of different markets and hundreds of games to choose from.
Regardless of the size of the country, he has many basketball players in the best clubs and leagues in the world, they are Tornike Shengelia, Vladimer Stefania, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, and especially Zaza Pachulia, who has won the NBA ring twice with the Golden State Warriors. It should be noted that the team has always had the greatest support, for example, in 2011 at the Eurobasket, the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili arrived. The team was ranked 27th in the world rankings until September 2019 but then dropped to 36th.
Rugby is one of the most popular team sports in Georgia. Back in the XIX century, a game like rugby was played in Georgia, and the rules of these two games are almost identical. Georgia is among the 20 best teams in the world. A few years ago, the team was very close to the top ten in the world, but the team moved from 11th to 12th place. The national team has won the "European Cup" 10 times. The team has been relegated since the 2019 World Cup and ranks 14th in the world rankings. Many sports betting sites in Georgia offer Rugby and many bettors from Georgia gladly place such bets.
The most famous Georgian tennis player is Alexander Metreveli, he is the former 9th tennis player in the world. He achieved this result on June 3, 1974. Nikoloz Basilashvili is the most famous Georgian tennis player of the 21st century, he was the 22nd tennis player in the world and he plays equally well with the top-10 and top-5 tennis players of the world. Naturally, it is enough for one national hero in an individual sport for the whole country to fall in love with the sport. Therefore, tennis bets are quite popular in Georgia, especially as tennis matches are fairly easy to guess.
Wrestling is a historically important sport in Georgia, historians think that there are many Georgian elements in the Greco-Roman style, and the Kakhetian style of wrestling is the most popular in Georgia. However, every corner of Georgia has its own style, for example, Khevsureti has three wrestling styles. Some sports betting sites in Georgia offer wrestling in their portfolio and many Georgians will bet on it.
Judo is one of the most popular sports in Georgia. There are many incredible judo wrestlers in Georgia, most known are Amiran Papinashvili, Vazha Margvelashvili, Lasha Shavdatuashvili, Zebeda Rekhviashvili, Beka Ghviniashvili, Varlam Liparteliani, Guram Tushishvili, Natalia Kipshidze, Mariam Janashvili, Eter Liparteliani, Mzia Beboshvili, Mariam Chanturia, Nino Odzelashvili, Sophio Somkhishvili, etc.
There are three famous sumo wrestlers from Georgia as well: Kokai (Levan Tsaguria), Tochinoshin (Levan Gorgadze), and Gagamaru (Teimuraz Jugheli). This sport was less popular in Georgia until 2018. In January 2018, Tochinoshin won the title of Emperor's Cup, he soon won the title of Ozeki (the second rank in the world of sumo), and although he relinquished this title in March 2019, he was able to regain the title.
There are dozens of different bets and listing them all would be a hard task. Instead, here are the most common types of bets that you can find in almost all sports betting sites in Georgia.
A simple (or single) bet is a 1×2 match bet, in which we choose one of the possible results of a match at the end of the regular time, plus added time (not including extra time or shootouts). That is, you choose between the following options:
Example: Udinese vs Inter Milan
As you already know, each bet has odds (the value that you can win in each election). For example, if you bet 100 lari in favor of Inter Milan and this team wins, the value you will receive is 100 x 2.25, that is, 225 lari (the bet value multiplied by the odds).
Double chance bet is a bet where you can cover two possible outcomes. The odds are lower, but the chances of winning are increased. For example:
See how the odds change in this example. As would be expected, the higher the odds of winning, the lower the odds:
This bet is a forecast of the number of goals/points that the two teams will score throughout the match. The most popular option is Over or Under 2.5 Goals in football. However, there are many options, such as More or Less than 1.5, 3.5, 4.5, etc.
Obviously, there are no halves of goals in football: this is just a reference value. If you bet in favor of:
This is valid for other goal or point markets, in case you bet on other sports.
When there is a big difference in quality between two teams, there is a very popular bet called a handicap. In this type of bet, goals or points are added to the weaker team, or goals or points are decreased to the favorite team, to balance the odds. In this type of bet, there are 3 possible choices, as in 1×2, after adding the value of the handicap:
In the same example above, a bet on Unidese +1 means that Udinese starts the match with a goal advantage. If you bet on Inter Milan -1, Inter must win by 2 or more goals difference for the bet to be a winner.
If you bet on Draw -1, the bet is a winner if the difference is exactly 1 goal for the favorite team, in this case, Inter Milan. If you bet on Draw +1, the favorite will have to lose by exactly 1 goal difference.
This form of handicap is similar to the European Handicap, but is easier to understand and is available at bookmakers all over the world, of course, in Georgia as well, as it does not include the options: “Draw -1 and Draw +1″.
So in this type of handicap, there are two options:
You can also bet on the result at halftime and/or at the end of the 2nd half. The idea is to predict which of the teams will be ahead at half-time and at the end of the match. A bet on this market works like a multiple bet where you try to predict the outcome at halftime and at the end of the match to win the bet. It is more difficult to win, but the prize is greater.
A combination bet allows you to bet on several predictions in a single bet. In this case, the corresponding odds will be multiplied and you will have higher final odds to bet on. Note that in combined bets you cannot combine more than one choice of the same match (for example, you cannot bet in favor of a team in the 1×2 and in the Over 2.5 goals of the same match).
The most common in accumulators is to bet on the final results of several matches, but you can also bet on goal markets or other markets.
There are many different types of parlay bets, but the most common is the multiplication of the odds of the individual choices of the parlay bet, thus giving you a higher final odds), but to win the bet you must hit all the individual predictions. One wrong forecast is enough to lose the combination bet!
When we place a sports bet in Georgia, we do so because we find enough value in it and we are sure it will come out. But in order to win, we have to lose sometimes, and as the cliché says – the house always wins. Or at least, it never loses. That is why it is interesting to know concepts such as the over-round, the margin that bookmakers apply to the odds they offer us.
The over-round is the margin that the sports betting sites in Georgia apply to the odds so as not to lose money regardless of the result of the bet. Logically, the bookmakers offer us odds with the aim of not losing money, and even in a match where the surprise jumps and the underdog wins. As you cannot do anything against the overround that the bookmakers apply, you can calculate it to see if the odds are as good as they seem.
Overround and payout are two terms that go hand in hand, but are different. If the overround is that margin applied by the bookies, the payout is the part of the money collected that is distributed among the players. Roughly, imagine that we win a bet with a payout of 96% and an overround of 4%. 96% of the money bet will be shared by the winners, while the 4% margin that the bookmaker has will go directly to them.
The overround is the inverse sum of the odds. Said like this, it may seem very complex, but it is not. To calculate it we have to calculate the percentage of each installment. For example, in a football match, the home team victory is at 1.50 odds, the tie at 4.00, and the away win at 7.00. The distribution of probabilities is:
The sum of 67+25+14 gives us a probability of 106%, something that may surprise us a priori since the real probabilities are 100%. However, the remaining percentage corresponds to the overround, which in this case is 6%. The lower the overround, the more realistic the odds will be; the higher it is, the greater the margin of the sports betting site in Georgia.
Although it may seem like a minor issue, the overround has a great influence on betting as it is partly to blame for the differences in odds between bookies. It is recommended to avoid sports betting sites in Georgia with very high overrounds, as it is difficult to beat high margins in the long run. In this sense, being registered in several bookmakers allows us to find the highest value odds for each market, always betting on the one that offers the best odds after analyzing the value and probabilities that each bookie gives to the bet.
Beyond the difference between odds, you have to take into account the possible results. It is not the same to bet on a basketball match (1-2), soccer (1-X-2) or Formula 1 (20 drivers). The more results there are, the uncertainty increases and the bookies protect themselves by offering lower payouts… and very high odds appear, where the risk is also very high. Finally, we must take into account the sport and even the competition. The more popular it is, the lower the overround will be if the house wants to offer competitive odds, if few bookies offer it they can raise the overround.
As there are numerous sports betting sites in Georgia, competition can be quite fierce. In order to attract as many customers as possible, bookmakers will offer various bonuses. Georgian bettors can find various bonuses and use them for betting that will cost less. Here are the most popular bonuses and promotions in Georgia:
The bookmakers in Georgia can see that the first impression is the one that counts, and for that reason, their welcome promotions operate on three fundamental concepts: registration offers (no deposit), deposit betting bonus, and finally, free bets. Each of these systems has its own operation which will be explained below:
They are extremely popular in Georgia and, in general, in the world of betting. What the operator guarantees us, in this case, is a percentage that varies between 50% and 100% of our deposit as an incentive in the form of credit (conditional on a rollover) or in the form of free bets.
We can definitely say that they are the best betting bonuses available on the market since although they have quite complex release conditions, they give you a small capital that you can bet with at will for the simple fact of completing your registration and verifying your data. You don’t have to do anything else.
From the outset, we will have to verify our account to receive our bonus, which should not be a problem since in any case, we would have to do it, however, the first limitation that we will receive will be the expiration of our bonus, which in this case does not usually exceed 7 calendar days. On the other hand, the minimum odds that will be imposed on us will be in any case over 2.0. Finally, we will find ourselves with two more situations – the first, is that our profit may be limited to the total amount of the bonus (although we have a rollover of 10X for example). Secondly, we will have to make a deposit to be able to access the winnings of said bonus.
These are small incentives, often indivisible, whose value is small and which consist of a rollover and a minimum game fee. Unlike the credit product of the bonuses, they cannot be divided and are obtained as a reward for our first bet or group of bets.
A free bet, as its name suggests, is an offer that allows you to bet a certain value once on any sporting event that has a minimum fee. That is, if you have a free bet of 100 lari with a minimum odds of 1.80, it is as if you actually had a ticket worth 100 lari in your hand and you only had to find a market to play it.
Another very important detail that you should know about free bets is that in the vast majority of the terms and conditions of bonus sports betting sites in Georgia it is written that you will only receive the profit they produce, with which, in a free bet of 100 lari that you played on a market with odds of 1.80 and was successful, will bring you a win of 80 lari (which may be subject to its own conditions), but you will not be credited back the amount of the original free bet.
If you have explored, even superficially, the bonuses and promotions section of the main sports betting sites in Georgia, you have probably realized that there is such a variety as numbers of bookmakers we can find.
They are those that the operator prepares in a premeditated way due to the popularity of any sporting event in particular. We are talking about either the Champions League final or the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. In general, what is sought is to attract new customers through inflated registration bonuses and retain the old ones by offering exceptionally high odds.
In order to encourage the use of parlays, some operators in Georgia offer what could be called ‘bet insurance’, which basically consists of the promise to give you a partial or total refund of what you have bet (usually in the form of a conditional free bet) if in a multiple bet one of your choices was a losing one.
These types of promotions are designed to maintain the interest of sports bettors and are usually given as compensation, for example, when the event on which we have bet ends 0-0. They are not available for all sports and markets but they are usually a good incentive to reduce risk.
Although they are not very popular in Georgia yet, this type of bonus is widely used in Europe. What the operator basically guarantees us is a refund of the original amount of our deposit if we use a specific channel to deposit money into our account.
Not all sports operators have cashout bonuses, also known as early closing bonuses, but the ones that do are extremely popular. In general terms, what we are offered is that if certain minimum conditions are met, for example, if we win 9 out of 10 games and are waiting for the 10th game to begin. In this case, a sports betting site in Georgia can offer you a chance to take some winnings and ensure money won from the betting slip.
This type of bonus has become extremely popular in Georgia and simply consists of adding a small incentive to our account every time someone uses our personal code to register on the bookmaker’s website. The idea, as you may well be imagining, is to attract new customers to the bookmaker, but the great thing about it is that both the owner of the code and the person who uses it to register to receive a benefit.
What is basically done is a comparison between the quotas of the main markets of a certain event of maximum interest and simply add a high percentage, say 10%, with the great advantage that the profits will always be free of any rollover. For example, a Champions League final match can have boosted odds on both teams (from 1.8 to 2.0, for example).
The gaming industry is very attractive, but still, the main reason why people play in online casinos is money. Every player wants to win big, this is the main thing that pushes us towards sports predictions. In order to start earning money in an online sports betting site in Georgia, you need to take the first step in a gambling career, namely, to deposit money into your gambling account and create your first gambling fund. The best online betting sites offer different ways of conducting financial transactions with different operating conditions – some faster and more reliable, some may include a fee that will affect the amount you withdraw.
All sports betting sites in Georgia are different, but most bookmakers have one thing in common – they accept credit cards and payments through e-wallets. These are much more popular and common payment methods all over the world. The following is a list of the most popular payment methods available in Georgia:
| Payment Method Type | Min. Deposit | Max. Deposit |
|---|---|---|
Credit/Debit cards Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Electron | 3 GEL – 60 GEL | unlimited |
Electronic wallets PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, EcoPayz, Visa Qiwi Wallet, Webmoney, Skrill, Neteller, Ukash | 30 GEL – 50 GEL | Unlimited |
| Bank Transfers | 30 GEL | Unlimited |
Mobile Payments Apple Pay | 30 GEL | Unlimited |
Cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Ethereum | 30 GEL | Unlimited |
For the last 10 years, payment systems such as Skrill, Neteller, and Paypal have become very popular all over the world and also in Georgia, so it is not surprising that the best online bookmakers use these payment methods. The main advantages of these systems are safety and reliability. Since these bookmakers are well-known brands, you need to make sure that your money is safe.
Bank transfers are as secure as paying by card and e-wallet, but depositing and withdrawing money from a gambling account takes a long time. Therefore, players make less use of bank transfers to avoid waiting. If you choose bank transfers, you can send a bank receipt, or notify the bank about the transaction online.
What Is the Best Payment Option for Georgian Players?
As sports betting is illegal in Georgia, credit cards and bank transfers are not recommended. When gambling at foreign betting sites, e-wallets are highly recommended. They are safe, fast, and available everywhere.
Gambling in Georgia is legal to a certain extent, but online sports betting is illegal, although it is still possible to place sports bets with foreign bookmakers and pay tax! Quite confusing but the laws are still flexible.
Gambling at reputable and licensed gaming houses in Georgia is always safe. Avoid shady sites, go with proven ones, and you’re good.
Sports betting is illegal in Georgia but players can access various sports betting sites. There are many legal and licensed sports betting sites that offer services to bettors from Georgia – choosing one will make your betting safe.
There are no limits when it comes to deposits, therefore bettors from Georgia can enjoy as much as possible.
This is still a gray area. While online sports betting is illegal, bettors will need to pay 7% tax if they opt to gamble at foreign sports betting sites.
Usually, it takes around 1 day to receive any winnings via e-wallets. Bank transfers take much longer but are not recommended to use either way.
The most important thing is that the bookmaker is safe and reputable. Apart from that, the bettor will look for services that suit them the most. Any bookmaker that offers what you need will be the best one.
A variety of sports is available to Georgian bettors, most notably football, basketball, tennis, but also martial arts, rugby, and similar.
Without any surprise, football is the most popular among Georgian bettors.
Odds represent a chance of an event happening. The lower the odds, the higher the chance. Odds come in decimal numbers and by multiplying the stake invested with the final odds of the betting slip, you get the expected amount (8.5 odds x 100 lari = 850 lari in winnings).
Numerous bookmakers available to Georgians will offer free bets. Although they come with certain conditions, they are always helpful if used right.
Such bonuses are given to those that register at a bookmaker for the first time. Upon registration, the bonus will be awarded either immediately, or after the first deposit.
Mental Health Center in Tbilisi offers help to those suffering from Gambling addiction. Additionally, people can also reach any local psychotherapist and ask for help anonymously.
🔎 Looking for casino sites? Here are the best casino sites in Georgia.
