Georgia Online Casinos

Georgia Online Casinos

Georgia has the strictest gambling laws you will find in the US. The prevailing rule in the state expressly states that online casinos are illegal in the state. It's not the case with online casinos in Georgia; almost all types of gambling are unlawful.

May it be sports betting or online poker, everything that involves gambling is illegal at the moment in Georgia.

We are accustomed to witnessing several tribal and commercial casinos in most of the US states, but to our surprise, there are no brick-and-mortar casinos in the state of Georgia!

Are Online Casinos Legal in Georgia? 

No, Georgia has prohibited all types of gambling, including online casinos in the state. The law is pretty clear about gambling, and there's no scope of ambiguity. The restrictions on gambling imposed by Georgia don't stop here; the state has even prohibited daily fantasy sports, online horse racing, brick-and-mortar casinos, and online poker.

The Code 16-12-20 of Georgia State Law states that:

"Making a bet on the partial or final result of any game or contest or upon the performance of any participant in such game or contest; making a bet upon the result of any political nomination, appointment, election or upon the degree of success of any nominee, appointee, or candidate; plays and bets for money or other things of value at any game played with cards, dice, or balls."

Gambling of any kind constitutes a crime in Georgia and may result in legal prosecution.

Gambling Laws and Restrictions

Not only do Georgia laws apply to online casinos, but they also apply to the following:

• Casinos

• Chain Letters

• Commercial gambling

• Dogfighting

• Dog racing

• Election wagering

• Horse racing

• Pyramid clubs

Legal Online Casinos in Georgia

Since online casinos are not legal in Georgia, and the law is quite stern about it, there's no way you can play at an online casino in Georgia.

However, the free online casinos that operate on the sweepstakes model are still legal because they don't constitute a wager.

Since these Sweeps Casinos operate using virtual currency and not real money, they are legal in Georgia.

What is a Sweeps Casino?

There are two varieties of virtual currencies used by these sweepstakes casinos. One currency is available for the players to purchase with real cash and enjoy online casinos using the "play money" option.

While the other currency available to the users as a bonus can be redeemed for cash prizes.

Here is an example for a detailed understanding of Sweepstakes Casino:

At Chumba Casino, players may either play for free or can choose to purchase 'Gold Coins' to play online casino games. These gold coins are only virtual currency and do not have a monetary value.

When a player makes a Gold Coin purchase, they are rewarded with Sweeps Coins, which can be redeemed for cash prizes. Players can also earn Sweep Coins by winning giveaways or writing to the Sweeps Casino’s HQ and requesting free Sweeps Coins.

When will Online Casinos be Legal in Georgia?

We can’t give you a definitive answer at this point since the laws are so restricted in the state. However, Georgia is concentrating more on legalizing retail casinos in the state.

Georgia was the second state in the country to legalize online sales of Lottery tickets in the state, but that's in the past. The state is in no hurry to get on board with legalized online gambling.

Unfortunately, cues from the legislation are not favorable either; no gambling law presented in the past could gain support from the Senate or the House.

Moreover, if the lawmakers want to alter the gambling laws in the state, they need to arrange a ballot paper referendum asking the citizens if they would like to witness a change in the gambling laws or not. If the referendum's result is positive, the House and the Senate still need to approve this constitutional amendment with at least a two-thirds vote.

With so many technicalities in the process, legalized online casinos seem to be a small thing in the state. Still, the state lacks any physical casinos, and the potential revenue generation from online casinos gives us a reason to believe that the state would legalize online gambling shortly.

Benefits of Online Casinos in Georgia

Though at the moment, online gambling is not legal in the state, once it gets legalized, it will reap the following benefits to the players in the state.

Variety of Games

Online Casinos will provide an extended assemblage of real money games. Much more than land-based casinos can provide. Having the options to choose from various casino games, slots, video poker, blackjack, poker baccarat, and roulette is fascinating in itself.

Bonuses Offered by Online Casinos

Various online casino sites would come up with generous and exciting bonus offers to lure customers. Some of the websites will offer a 100% joining bonus, and since this would be the onset of online casinos there would be no shortage of no-deposit bonus offers in Georgia.

Winning Real money online

The thrill will be at an all-time high when players would be able to flex their casino skills. There is a massive potential of winning loads of money just by playing online casinos in Georgia.

Are there any Land-based Casinos in Georgia? 

 It's a rare sight in the US if the state has no land-based casinos. Unfortunately, Georgia is one of those states.

People from Georgia interested in playing at retail casinos either need to reach out to neighboring states like Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida or sign up to play at Free Online Sweeps Casinos.

However, if you can't get to one of the neighboring states, a cruise ship allows casino games; it's called The Emerald Princess Casino. The boat is docked in Brunswick and can host games during short trips when the ship is in international waters.

During these 5-6 hours long trips, the players can enjoy roulette, slot machines, craps tables, and blackjack tables.

Online Casino Games in Georgia

Once online gambling is legal in Georgia, we can expect the following games to be on the list of possible games.

• Online slots

• Online Poker

• Lottery

• Roulette

• Live Dealers

Online Sportsbooks expected to launch in Georgia

Online Sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, William Hill, BetMGM, 888 Sportsbook must be smacking their lips as Georgia will offer them a new untouched base of potential customers to attract to their Sportsbooks. These Sportsbooks will introduce aggressive bonuses, and Welcome Bonus offers to the players to bring them on board as soon as gambling becomes legal in Georgia.

Off-Shore Online Casinos in Georgia 

There are plenty of online gambling websites that offer online casinos to players from Georgia, but be very clear about it that none of them abide by the Georgian law on gambling.

Even though the chances of you playing casino games on these sites and getting away with it are pretty good, you are always at risk.

In states where online casinos are legal, such websites have to abide by the rules and regulations laid by tate law. Since there's no such law in Georgia, these online sites operate illegally.

Off-Shore Casino Cons

• If you have a fraud or unfair practices issue with the offshore website, you won't get legal assistance or remedy for that; you are all on your own.

• You cannot evaluate the integrity and genuineness of these websites without any governing law in place.

• These sites ask for your personal information and banking details; they might misuse them without strict guidelines.

Gambling is a risky gig; on top of it, gambling on offshore sites adds to that risk.

Responsible Gambling in Georgia

The state is concerned about gambling and its aftereffects on the citizens. The Georgia Lottery is the authority that regulates all types of gambling in Georgia.

Georgia Lottery issues notifications, tips, and instructions for players to play responsibly from time to time. It also provides online safeguards to save the people from offshore sites that might trick them and conducts self-assessment programs.

Voluntary Self- Exclusion Program: The Georgia Lottery also comes forward for those willing to join the Voluntary Self- Exclusion Program. Under this program, people can exclude themselves from all kinds of mobile gambling and online casinos voluntarily. The tenure of this program varies from three months to a year.