Gambling is one of the biggest industries in the world. It is getting more and more popular with time and there is still plenty of room for development. The gambling industry varies and has changed in nature quite a few times already. While some countries are very specific with their desires in relation to the gambling industry, others are very open to any new opportunities.

Gambling is developing with rapid speed, and the clearest example for it is the online gambling industry which has become one of the mainstream gambling ways. The countries are adapting to online gambling and thus, get access to the new markets on the daily basis.

Many countries have limited online gambling for their citizens, due to the responsible approach to the subjects, others try to evolve and expand online gambling all over the local as well as international countries. Georgia, which is a small country in the Caucasus region, has a very different and liberal approach to the gambling industry, especially when compared to its neighbors.

Gambling is an especially active part of the country’s economy and operation ever since 2014. First amendments and changes have been made exactly in this period, and are still ongoing ever since. Thousands of people gambling in Georgia and despite the small and relatively unstable economy, Georgian online casinos are very popular among the local citizens.

Gambling in Georgia

Bookmakers and online gambling in Georgia are big and still growing industries that employ thousands and generate over 150 million GEL, over $50 million in tax revenue only.

Gambling, as well as sports betting, is a heavily regulated and fully legal sector in Georgia. Moreover, the advertisements, unlike many other European countries, are legal, and thus you can see plenty of banners and signs in major cities as well as online. This encourages more people to take the risk and invest their money and time in gambling activity. As such, Georgia attracts many wealthy visitors for this sole reason.

Technological progress and development have also introduced Georgian gamblers to the new type of gambling, which is a Bitcoin casino and blockchain-based gambling. It is getting more and more popular and is attracting a wider audience. Considering the number of people possessing BTC accounts in the country, the Bitcoin casinos are getting even more popular with time.

In 2017, gambling accounted for 8.4% of total revenue in Georgia’s business sector, which was just above ₾71 billion at that time. The possible increase in BTC gambling promises even increased revenue for the country’s economy. According to the statistics and observations, BTC gambling in 2021 should increase the overall industry revenue by around another $2 billion.

The forecasts are made according to the previous tendencies and the previous increase of the revenue in gambling, once the traditional casinos have switched to online gambling platforms. The largest one-year increase was recorded in 2015 when the rapid growth of online gambling and sports betting resulted in a 91% increase in total turnover in the gambling sector.

Gambling regulations

During the past several years, the local government has introduced some more regulations and initiatives, in order to make the gambling industry even more appealing and safe for the thousands of players. The tax exemptions for the gambling industry in some parts of the country are the most vibrant ones. For instance, in order to set up a casino, a company has to pay an annual fee of 5 million GEL, which is around $1.5 million. Though, in some regions like Batumi, Gudauri, Bakuriani, Borjomi, and some other resorts, the fee is almost 20x less, which is only 250,000 GEL. The massive interference like this is in order to attract more investors and build new, modern resorts.

According to official statistics from the Ministry of Finance, there are 247 permits for organizing gambling activities in Georgia. The industry paid ₾136.5 million into the state budget in 2018. This is ₾17 million more than the amount of taxes paid in 2017.

The changes in taxation resulted in building new casinos. In Batumi only back in 2018, there were 10 casinos operating and the same amount was for the online casinos. Within the next five years, the amount should increase by 50%. This also increased visitors to the region by 75%.

The development of online gambling has also ceased one more problem. Throughout the past several years, the local casinos have mostly been owned by Turkish businessmen. Though, with the development of the local casinos, many businessmen were able to invest in the traditional casinos and renown the casinos.

The increased online gambling flow is already affecting the local economy and society as well. Thus the development of the Bitcoin casino locally shall attract even more attention. So far, there is no local Bitcoin casino in Georgia, though offshore and international operators accepting Georgian players, can still enjoy Bitcoin gambling.

Gambling and the society

The overall perception of gambling in society is not very positive, as an increased amount of gamblers, increases the risks and problems of gambling in people. Though the revenue and the income the industry generates to the economy still makes the local authorities further continue focusing on the development of online gambling.

According to the official statistics, almost 90% of the respondents on the survey are engaged in any type of gambling activity. The rest of the respondents are at least engaged in sports betting, which is also very important and the most popular activity among the locals.

With all the recommendations taken into consideration, Georgia should maintain a loyal and liberal approach to the gambling industry. It is also tightly linked to the tourism industry and high profits. With the rapid technological development and an entrepreneurial boost in society, Georgia might soon become the first country in the region to introduce Bitcoin casinos and switch to blockchain gambling within the next following years.

Italian football giants AC Milan, in partnership with fintech blockchain company Chiliz, have announced plans to launch an $ACM Fan Token on the fan engagement and rewards platform Socios.com in the coming weeks.

AC Milan are among the most successful clubs of all time, with 18 FIFA and UEFA trophies to their name in addition to 18 Serie A titles and a massive global fanbase estimated at 450 million, including a significant following throughout Asia.

$ACM Fan Token owners will be able to access a wide range of benefits including the right to vote in multiple club decisions each season, VIP rewards & experiences, exclusive club and sponsor promotions, games, competitions and ‘super-fan’ recognition.

The club joins a list of 19 major sporting organizations who have partnered with Socios to launch Fan Tokens, including FC Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, AS Roma, Atlético de Madrid, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor. Leading esports organizations Team Heretics, NAVI, OG and Alliance have all launched Fan Tokens on the platform, while UFC have signed a global fan engagement agreement and fellow MMA organisation the Professional Fighters League will launch a Fan Token in the coming months. More major clubs are set to launch Fan Tokens in the near future.

Notable examples of fan engagement through Socios include fans of Apollon FC choosing the first team for a friendly match and the club’s home and away kit for the 2021/22 season. Juventus fans chose the club’s new goal celebration song, decided on a limited edition redesign of the iconic ‘J’ logo and the first team bus for the 2020/21 season. Supporters of FC Barcelona placed a unique fan designed artwork at the heart of the Camp Nou dressing room, Roma fans delivered questions direct to head coach Paolo Fonseca in a live press conference and PSG fans chose a unique message for the captain’s armband as well as voting on their end of season awards through the app.

Powered by the utility token Chiliz $CHZ, Socios is one of the most active non-financial, consumer-facing mainstream blockchain products in the world. In just over a year it has been downloaded by more than 450,000 people, over 14M Fan Tokens have been sold, and over 700,000 votes registered on the blockchain. In total, Fan Tokens have generated over $30M USD for clubs and partners in a little over 12 months. In late December and early January several Fan Tokens were listed on major global exchanges driving significant activity, with $PSG and $JUV trading volumes hitting a 24 hour high of $300M in late December.

Fans who purchased ‘Milan Devils’ Tokens using Socios pre-sale feature Locker Room will have their tokens transformed into $ACM Fan Tokens upon launch. Locker Tokens for Manchester Blue and The Galácticos have sold out.

Casper Stylsvig, Chief Revenue Officer of AC Milan said: “We are happy to join hands with Socios and welcome them to our family as a global partner. This partnership allows us to give our 450 million fans across the world another exciting way to interact with AC Milan, which is particularly important under the current circumstances created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As an innovative Club, one of our focus areas is modernization and this partnership helps us complete another important step in that direction.”

Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO and Founder of Chiliz and Socios said:  “I’m delighted to welcome AC Milan and their 450 million fans from across the world to Socios.

“Fans of the I Rossoneri  will be able to enjoy unprecedented engagement with their favourite team, influencing the club in polls, accessing VIP rewards, exclusive promotions, chat forums and much more.

“The AC Milan partnership is a great start to a year in which we will work harder than ever on our mission to fully establish Fan Tokens as the ultimate fan engagement tool and as a powerful new revenue generator for the sports industry.”

Engaging new slot title invites players to discover gold at the end of the rainbow

FunFair Technologies, the renowned blockchain platform and game developer, has launched its most popular blockchain slot title, Shamrock Treasures, into the online gaming vertical.

Players enjoying the game follow the charming Leprechaun Fergus O’Fun on his quest for Shamrock Treasures, within a 3×3 title showcasing a classic Irish theme which appeals to both slot enthusiasts and total newcomers.

Bettors on the hunt for a four-leaf clover discover the slot’s inviting symbols, ranging from pots of gold to Leprechaun pipes, as well as its thrilling gameplay features and immersive soundtrack.

Landing three Shamrock Scatter Symbols on the reels triggers a multi-level wheel bonus, which generates increasingly attractive prizes after three successive spins, offering potential wins of over x6000.

FunFair Technologies’ thrilling new game will be distributed via RGS Matrix’s ‘out of the box’ server, following a major commercial partnership with EveryMatrix signed in October 2020.

As well as game development, the company has continued to go from strength-to-strength over the course of 2020 by developing cutting-edge blockchain platform solutions with the objective of delivering Guaranteed Fair™ igaming for players, affiliates and operators alike.  

Lloyd Purser, COO at FunFair Technologies, said:

“We are delighted to launch Shamrock Treasures, an all-Irish adventure following the likeable Fergus O’Fun on a quest to find the gold at the end of the rainbow within a simple yet engaging 3×5 grid.

“With an immersive set of symbols appearing alongside our exhilarating bonus round, it’s a no-nonsense slot that fun-loving players won’t want to miss.”

Mathias Larsson, Managing Director of RGS Matrix, said:

“Showcasing many of the classic RNG gaming features that players know and love, Shamrock Treasures is an absorbing title that will help operators to drive customer retention in the year to come.

“For that reason, we have no doubt that it will be warmly welcomed across our extensive partnership network.”