People love to gamble, that’s a fact – it’s fun and in most cases profitable. No wonder that so many people enjoy it. Georgia has one of the strictest laws in the U.S. when it comes to gambling. They used to work towards banning it from the state. If you head to Atlanta to have some fun, you might leave empty-handed. The government’s efforts to ban gambling on its territory has made its citizens look for creative solutions and go somewhere else to satisfy this urge.
Online gambling
With the development of technology and the various software available on the market, online gambling has become available in Atlanta too. There are now various online gambling sites that players can choose from, but sometimes it can be hard to say which one is fake and which ones are real. At the moment, there are no laws that refer to online gambling in Georgia. However, if you ask different people you will get different answers when you try to find out is it completely legal.
The consensus at the moment between the experts is that there are no issues at the moment with online gambling in Atlanta, Georgia. There have been no arrests or charges for gambling, so if you wish to have some fun and don’t go miles away from home to do it, this may be just the right solution.
However, there are some restrictions, so if you are only 18 years old, then focus only on the state lottery, playing bingo online and on betting on dogs and horses. Only residents older than 21 are permitted to place bets in online casinos and join online poker rooms. Considering that it’s hard to determine the validity of the websites, players can accidentally choose an illegal website without realizing it. However, players don’t get charged for it which takes a little bit of pressure off.
Even though there is no law or statute that refers to online gambling, there are some that state that owning and operating an online gambling website is illegal. If you are an Atlanta resident, you should know that it is not illegal to engage in online gambling. However, you should carefully choose the online website where you will gamble. If you are afraid that you might go to jail for having some fun online, you can be at ease – that will not happen. As reported by GamblingGurus.com by playing in one of many offshore online casinos, you will be on the safe side.
The overview of the Georgian gambling laws
It is always good to get familiar with the laws concerning gambling, so you don’t get yourself in trouble for engaging in gambling activities. You should know that in Georgia only the raffles, charitable bingo, and state lottery are fully allowed. It is considered that the person committed an offense in case the person:
– places a bet upon the result of a game
– places a bet upon election, appointment, nomination
– places a bet for a game played with balls, dice or cards
In case anything of this happens, it is treated as a misdemeanor. Under this law, an individual who engages in gambling places a bet or forwards it, who advertises gambling, sells tickets for the lottery can face prison or paying a large fine. However, it is important to say that this does not refer to online gambling.
It seems that Georgia is slightly opening its views towards gambling considering that thousands of dollars flow into other states because of these current prohibitions. This may push the government towards allowing gambling, but there is still a long road ahead. Online gambling is already a huge step as it is.
The State Lottery
Considering that it is fully legal, the state lottery is a very profitable business bringing more than $80 billion over the last 3 decades. Allowing the state lottery was a paradox by itself because Georgia was known as a very strict state concerning all forms of gambling. However, back in 1992, they allowed it so they can fund educational programs and scholarships, but also to support numerous charitable organizations.
Another change happened 17 years ago when GLC (Georgia Lottery Corporation) assumed the duties to participate in the regulation of Class A and B. Class A refers to machines such as pool tables, arcade games, pinball games, claw machines, skeeball and kiddie rides. On the other hand, Class B refers to the machines that pretty much resemble slot machines and are known as video lottery. These machines resemble slots, but a player must have a certain skill to operate it. With sufficient skill, one may win a combo and get the highest payout.
Raffles and Bingo
These are the first two games legalized 44 years ago with the intention of funding charitable organizations but are still very present across Georgia. Due to the Georgian strict laws, in the last 39 years, more than 50 organizations lost licenses for gambling because they were not following the rules entirely.
This year may be another breakthrough for gambling in Georgia since there are some initiatives to support gambling with the goal of collecting the revenue that would result from it. It would be more profitable for the state, that’s for sure. That would mean more money for education and scholarships, but also for every aspect of the social life of its citizens.
We hope we helped you clarify some of your concerns and shed a little light on the gambling laws that apply in Georgia. Even though they were very strict about it, there is hope that these things are slightly changing, bringing new possibilities to people who like to engage in playing games both offline and online. But, until that occurs, playing in offshore online casinos is your safest option, so let it be your starting point. Make sure you choose the websites carefully and the only thing left to do is to enjoy and have some fun!
