On the eve of the start of the Georgia Gambling Conference, Anna Buyadzhi answered topical questions about the current state of affairs in the gambling sector in Georgia. is a managing partner of VigoLex. The expert noted the importance of fighting gambling addiction and assessed the competitiveness of the Georgian gambling market.

In her interview, Anna said that one of the fundamental principles on which any honest gambling business is built is responsible gambling and limiting access to gambling games for people with addiction.

According to her, addiction to gambling is a big problem in Georgia. According to the statistics of one of the non-governmental organizations, every fifth inhabitant of the country suffers from manifestations of gambling addiction.

The Law of 2005 "On the organization of lotteries, gambling and other bonus games" does not contain a word about gamers and how operators should help people fight this disease. Meanwhile, this is a form of psychological dependence recognized in healthcare,” Buyadzhi says.

She also noted that there is no self-exclusion system in Georgia, although there were similar legislative initiatives in 2017. Anna is sure that this would greatly help to solve the social problem under consideration.

Next, she touched upon the attractiveness of the Georgian gambling market. According to local law, quarterly fees are paid by operators three months in advance, and license fees are paid one year in advance. Until recently, this created discomfort for entrepreneurs. However, since the beginning of March 2021, the authorities have allowed offline casinos to operate in Georgia. According to Buyadzhi, this will have a positive impact on this sector of the economy.

Note that on April 15, at the Georgia Gambling Conference 2021, Anna Buyadzhi will join the panel discussion on gambling in Georgia. Together with other experts, she will discuss issues related to responsible gambling and the operation of the monitoring system.

Recall that the head of CRAILtold about the mechanisms for protecting Ukrainian citizens from gambling games.