A new decree approved last year has banned well over a million people from participating in gambling in Georgia. The law, which follows the introduction of new online casino restrictions, bans under 25s, public employees, the socially vulnerable and those blacklisted by courts from gambling.

Minister of finance Lasha Khutsishvili said 1.45 million citizens are now banned from gambling, including people who are self-excluding. The new law came into effect this month after being approved by prime minister Irakli Garibashvili last year.

Last month, Garibashvili approved another batch of restrictions to tighten the country’s gambling laws. One of the measures will be to ring-fence online casino licences so they can be held only by land-based casinos based in Georgia.

That would make Adjara Group, Crystalbet and Iveria the only operators that can hold online casino licences. However, in addition, the government plans to offer a licence for exclusive rights to operate online casino for a fee of €1.6m.

Last year, the government presented plans to introduce separate gaming licences for specific verticals so that operators would no longer be able to expand into different verticals with no need for an additional permit. The annual permit fees for each of the business types (online casino, slots and betting) were to be set at €35,580.

All gambling advertising on TV, websites and public places has also been banned, and gambling taxes have been raised. Another batch of measures that are expected to be imposed includes a ban on casinos on ships.

The government says the measures are designed to bring the country in line with the EU expectations as it seeks to enter the bloq, although there is no EU ban on gambling advertising or prohibiting certain people from participating.

EGT Digital continues its winning streak in Georgia. The prominent local operator Betlive enriched the gaming choice of the players on its betting site by adding to its portfolio the 18 top-performing titles of Bell Link, High Cash jackpots, as well as the 5 single progressives Rise of Ra, Versailles Gold, 20 Super Hot, 40 Super Hot and Burning Hot.

“The partnership with Betlive is another milestone for us. It is convincing proof of our company’s growing popularity and the serious positions it occupies as one of the preferred gaming providers for more and more operators in Georgia,” Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital, said.

“EGT Digital’s games immediately captivated the attention of our website’s visitors, who are looking for a rich variety of themes along with high chances for winnings and bonuses. Our impressions of their performance so far have been excellent and I believe that we will continue working with the Bulgarian provider for a long time in order to provide our customers with high-quality online gaming entertainment,” Varlam Sakhvadze, Head of Games Department at betlive.com, said.

Upgaming, the Leading iGaming solutions provider, has been named as the “Aggregator of the Year” at the prestigious SiGMA Eurasia Awards, cementing its position as a leader in the industry.

The SiGMA Awards is among the most respected awards in the online gaming industry, recognizing excellence in gaming innovation and technology. Upgaming was shortlisted in four categories at the awards, including “The Platform of the year,” “The Sportsbook provider of the year,” and “E-sports product of the year.” The company has won the “Aggregator of the Year” award, showcasing its dedication to innovation and excellence in the gaming business.

Their success is primarily due to its commitment to innovation and ability to stay ahead of the curve in an ever-changing industry. Upgaming’s aggregation software offers an exceptional user experience, combining the best games from the world’s leading providers into a single, splendid gaming library. With over 12 000 games from more than 180 top providers, that can be integrated with an API that allows seamless integration of gaming software into any iGaming platform.

Commenting on the award, Goga Bibiluri, Chief Marketing Officer at Upgaming, said:

“We have always strived to provide our customers with the best iGaming products and solutions, and The award is a testament to our commitment to excellence. It’s an honor to be recognized by industry experts for our efforts. We will continue to push boundaries and innovate to maintain our position as the leading iGaming solutions provider.”

Upgaming’s success at the SiGMA Awards clearly indicates the company’s leadership in the online gaming industry. With a commitment to innovation and a focus on the user experience, Upgaming is poised for continued success and growth in the years to come.