All countries around the world have their own laws and legislation regarding gambling of all kinds, including that carried out online. The UK is no exception and there is actually quite comprehensive legislation in place related to online betting and its legality.
Online betting Laws is the process of placing real money wagers on sports, casino games, poker or other games of skill or chance through the internet or mobile/tablet. Each country and state within. Georgia has some awesome sports betting sites for you to choose from. We reviewed all of them to and featured the best here to help you with legal sports betting in Georgia. Discover all you need to know about legal Georgia sports betting. Learn about the current sports betting laws, the future outlook & other gambling options. All about iGaming in Georgia. 100% legal online Georgia gambling and betting, listed and reviewed by our team. Fantasy Sports ✓ Skill Games ✓ Casinos ✖.
This page is dedicated to unpicking that legislation and giving you all of the details you could possible want about the legality of online betting in the UK.
Key Points
- Since 1960, all gambling has been legal in the UK.
- Legal age for sports betting and most other forms of gambling is 18.
- Scratch cards, lotteries & football pools legal for 16+.
- Gambling Act 2005 & Gambling (Licensing & Advertising) Act 2014 govern most online activities.
- Gambling in the UK is regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
Top 3 UK Legal Betting Sites
UK Gambling Legislation: Timeline
1963 – Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act
For many years in the UK, any betting away from racecourses was illegal but this all changed with the passage of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963. This act made gambling in locations away from courses legal and paved the way for the situation as it is today, whereby gambling is generally legal across the board.
It was that act and other 1960s legislation which for decades determined and regulated the gambling industry in the UK.
2005 – Gambling Act
The Gambling Act 2005 was eventually passed to modernise the nation’s gambling laws.
That act introduced a raft of new legislation which was all stated as having the following three main aims:
Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime…
Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way, and…
Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
2005 – Gambling Commission
To those ends, the act created the UK Gambling Commission as the body for regulating all gambling within the UK.
New types of gaming licences and rules dictating how these could be gained were developed online betting was brought under the same controls as land based gambling. Remote gambling licences were also introduced for offshore companies.
2014 – Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act
For a number of years, however, the act was ambiguous regarding online betting provided by companies based outside of the UK but serving British customers. These ambiguities were eventually removed by the passage of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014.
That act made licensing and other regulation of gambling consistent across the board for all online gambling providers regardless of where they were based.
More importantly it made overseas based providers liable for paying the same 15% tax that UK based companies were already subject to.
It did this by making it a ‘point of consumption’ rather than a ‘point of supply’ tax. For a more in-depth explanation of the rules regarding the taxation of gambling in the UK, click here.
Money Laundering: Why You Need To Verify Identity
The UK Gambling Commission as regulators of the entire gambling industry in the UK are the supervisory body when it comes to anti money laundering measures. The present regulations regarding money laundering, however, are far from comprehensive.
Currently under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, it is only organisations holding casino operating licences which are obligated to address money laundering risks.
Organisations subject to the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 are obligated to undertake what are described as ‘customer due diligence measures’. These are measures which identify any customer and verify ‘the customer’s identity on the basis of documents, data or information obtained from a reliable and independent source’.
It is due to this, therefore, that casino operators can – and other gambling providers – request documentation from an individual to prove their identity before they will serve them.
Although Georgia is home to a number of top professional and college-level sports teams, there is currently no legal Georgia sports betting. However, there have recently been some parliamentary moves that signal that lawmakers are looking to introduce legal sports betting sometime in the future.
As we only recommend licensed online bookmakers and there are no legal online sports betting Georgia websites, we’ve used this guide to discuss the current gambling laws in the state. We’ve also discussed the future of the sports betting market in Georgia, as well as some other gambling options you can enjoy in the meantime.
What Betting Options are Legal for Georgia Residents
Contents
- What Betting Options are Legal for Georgia Residents
- Frequently Asked Questions
Georgia currently ranks as one of the least gambling-friendly states in the country, so it’s no wonder why there is no Georgia legal online sportsbook. However, for those wanting some legal betting option, visitors and residents can legally bet on bingo and the lottery, as well as daily fantasy sports sites.
Is Daily Fantasy Legal in Georgia?
As pari-mutuel wagering on horse and dog racing is illegal, there really are no kinds of Georgia sports betting options. Perhaps the closest thing available is daily fantasy sports (DFS) betting, which although isn’t technically illegal, is tolerated by the states. FanDuel and DraftKings operate in Georgia, both of which double as reputable sports betting sites. Players can access these daily fantasy sites via mobile devices as well as from their computers.
DFS sees contestants compete for cash prizes based on the real-life performances of their drafted fantasy team lineups of players from a sports league. Until there are legal online sports betting in Georgia, DFS games are a great way to get into the habit of researching sports games to make the best bets.
Are there Legal Offshore Sites for Georgia Players
In some states that don’t offer sports betting, players can still access offshore bookmakers through a legal loophole that ensures players won’t be punished for doing so. As Georgia specifically outlaws placing bets of any kind, there is no legal Georgia online gambling of any kind permitted outside of DFS.
For this reason, we highly recommend you avoid offshore betting sites such as Bovada and BetOnline or risk being punished. These websites also can’t be trusted as they are unlicensed, so can not offer any guarantees that they are safe and fair. It’s also not advised to trust websites that target customers in illegal jurisdictions.
GA Casinos
Not only are there no Georgia legal online sportsbooks available for Georgians, but residents are barred from casino gambling. For those in Georgia wanting to gamble at casinos, there are a number of casino cruise ships that sail from Georgia to international waters so players can gamble on slots and table games.
If players want to try some of these table games and slots without placing any cash wagers, online social casinos are available. These legal websites can be accessed on desktop browsers and apps and are free to play. Sometimes these social casinos offer real money jackpots through sweepstakes despite players wagering no cash. The odds of casino gabmling being legalized in the state are slim to none for the coming future.
Nearby States with Legal Sports Betting
As both local Georgia sports betting and international offshore bookmakers aren’t legal, we recommend that locals wanting to wager on sports travel to another state to make a sports bet. Luckily, Georgia is bordered by Tennessee, which was among the first states to offer legal sports betting.
We suggest you check these following state guides to discover the best sportsbooks available near Georgia:
- Tennessee
- North Carolina
- Mississippi
What would Legal Sports Betting in Georgia Look Like?
While it seemed as though legal online sports betting in Georgia would be a near impossibility a year ago, a new piece of legislation is currently seeking to make this a reality. The newly introduced bill seeks to legalize online sports betting and have it be run by the Georgia Lottery.
The bill is similar to one introduced by neighbor state Tennessee that would place a 10% tax on sports betting revenues. Operators would also need to pay a $900,000 annual license fee on top of this too. The current bill limits collegiate prop betting, including individual actions, events, and statistics of these games.
Outside of college games, players will be able to bet on all major sports league games such as the NFL, NBA, MLS, and NHL. These bets will likely have fewer restrictions than those placed on collegiate division sports. This is no doubt great news for fans of the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Hawks.
It’s still uncertain whether or not lawmakers will approve of the bill, but in the case they do, a special government body will be created to regulate the states sportsbook locations. These regulatory bodies are important as they set laws that ensure player protection measures are maintained by the safest betting sites and guarantee a certain degree of fairness.
What are the Georgia Gambling Laws
When it comes to gambling, Georgia has always had little tolerance for the activities. Georgia first sought to make gambling illegal in 1878, when it passed a law that banned lottery tickets. It would take more than 100 years for the lottery to be legalized, with the Georgia Lottery established in 1993.
On top of this, pari-mutuel betting on horse racing and greyhound racing is also outlawed and remains illegal to this day. In 1976, lawmakers carved out a law that allowed for the sale of tickets for a charitable raffle or bingo games, though even these are highly regulated.
Georgia’s explicit ban on gambling of all kinds has meant that those seeking to make bets with offshore bookmakers or unlicensed online casinos are breaking the law. This is despite there being no explicit law against online casinos. DFS betting is one of few exceptions, which is tolerated as it is not considered technically a game of chance.
| Betting Type | Law |
|---|---|
| Sports Betting | Not Legal |
| Online Sports Betting | Not Legal |
| Online Casino | Not Legal |
| Poker | Not Legal |
| Racetrack Betting | Not Legal |
| Georgia Gambling Age | 18+ |
Georgia gambling laws permit the minimum gambling age is 18. This goes for playing the lottery, bingo, and to sign up for a DFS account. All other forms of gambling in the state are illegal, although it is not illegal for residents of Georgia to travel out of state to gamble.
What is the Future of Sports Betting in Georgia?
We are hopeful that soon enough, Georgia will become a legal sport betting state. The current bill has the backing of the state’s professional sports teams, which has historically been one of the largest hurdles to overcome when trying to expand sports betting laws. We’ll keep an eye on the news for any updates.
The bill also has bipartisan support from five senators, proving that both Republicans and Democrats can see that legal Georgia sports betting will be profitable. However, until this bill is passed, we remind residents and visitors of Georgia to avoid offshore sportsbooks to place bets and instead travel to a nearby legal state. We are fairly certain legal sportsbooks will be in Georgia this upcoming year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Online Betting Legal In Georgia
Do you still have questions about Georgia sports betting and your legal online betting options in the state? In this section, we have answered a number of common questions that are frequently asked about Georgia’s gambling laws.
Is online gambling and sports betting legal in Georgia?
No, online gambling and sports betting are not legal in the state of Georgia. However, both could be changed in one swoop if the current law seeking to legalize mobile sports betting in the state is passed. We recommend trying some online social gambling games or DFS.
What is the Georgia legal gambling age?
The minimum gambling age in Georgia is 18 years old. This is the same age for the state lottery, to play bingo games and to sign up for a daily fantasy sports account. Georgia has strict rules regarding this, so we stress that underage players do not illegally gamble.
Are offshore bookmaker sites legal and safe?
Is Online Gambling Legal In Ga
No, offshore bookmakers are neither legal nor safe in the state of Georgia. The state has outlawed most forms of gambling and will punish those caught breaking the law. Until these websites are licensed and regulated in Georgia, we suggest you avoid these websites.
Can I use the FanDuel or DraftKings app in Georgia?
Is Betting Legal In Georgia
Both FanDuel and DraftKings are available in Georgia, though you can currently only use them to access their daily fantasy sports offerings. In the case that mobile sports betting is legalized with a new law, we believe either could make for the perfect legal Georgia sports betting app, with which to bet on the NFL and other major sports.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Georgia