The General Rule of the Ban
The Law of Georgia on Advertising treats the advertising of gambling games with special strictness: the dissemination, in any form or by any means, including through an electronic communication network, of advertising about gambling games, a totalizator, lotto, bingo, the organizer of gambling games, the organizer of a totalizator, the organizer of lotto and the organizer of bingo is impermissible. The ban does not depend on the format — it covers television, the internet, outdoor and indoor placements equally.
The second article of the same law determines the scope: the law regulates the relations arising in the production, placement and dissemination of advertising on the goods and financial markets, applies to persons producing, placing and disseminating advertising in Georgia, and even to their actions performed beyond the border, where they may cause corresponding negative consequences on the territory of Georgia. The advertising of gambling games is regulated precisely by this law.
The Four Exceptions
The law relieves the ban with four exceptions. First: the advertising is disseminated by placement on the website on which the organization in a systemic-electronic form of gambling games and/or a totalizator is allowed. Second: the advertising is disseminated at the place of a sporting event or competition and/or at the place of activity of a sports organization, and is a condition in return for the sponsorship of their activity. Third: the advertising is visually placed on the facility where the organization of gambling games, a totalizator, lotto and/or bingo is allowed. Fourth: the advertising is placed on the territory of an airport open for international traffic and/or at a border-customs checkpoint.
The exceptions must be read precisely: each has its own conditions — in the case of sports sponsorship the advertising must be provided in return for sponsorship, while placement on a facility entails restrictions of area and uniqueness. From the compliance-audit angle this means: every existing placement must be mapped onto these four known forms, and nothing must remain outside their limits.
The Sign Rule and the Form of Sponsorship
The law separately restricts the placement of signs: the placement of more than one sign containing information about gambling games is impermissible, and this sign must not exceed 10 square meters. The exception for visual placement on a facility is tied precisely to these two conditions — an area of no more than 10 square meters and the status of the only such advertisement on that facility.
The sponsorship exception has its own formal restriction: in return for the sponsorship of a sporting event, competition and/or the activity of a sports organization, the dissemination of advertising is allowed only in visual form, on the inner perimeter of the place of the event or competition — the facility — by the placement of a banner and/or on the uniform of the players. Thus outdoor placement, broadcasting or digital distribution can no longer count as part of a sponsorship package.
The Advertising of Promotional Games
A separate regime concerns promotional games: the dissemination in any form or by any means of advertising about a game to be conducted on the basis of a promotional game permit is impermissible where the permit has been issued to an organizer of gambling games, a totalizator, lotto and/or bingo — except where the advertising is disseminated on a website on which systemic-electronic gaming is allowed, or only on the inner perimeter of the facility of the organization of gambling games, a totalizator, lotto and/or bingo. This means that planning retail campaigns requires particular attention to the sponsor's status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is online advertising of gambling games possible?
Generally no — dissemination through an electronic communication network is prohibited. The only exception is placement on the website on which the systemic-electronic organization of gambling games or a totalizator is allowed.
How many signs may be placed on a facility?
Only one — the placement of more than one sign containing information about gambling games is impermissible, and the sign must not exceed 10 square meters.
How may advertising connected with sports sponsorship be done?
Only in visual form, on the inner perimeter of the place of the event or competition — by a banner and/or on the players' uniform — and only as a condition in return for sponsorship.
And the advertising of promotional games?
Where the permit has been issued to an organizer of gambling games, such advertising is impermissible — except on an allowed systemic-electronic gaming website and on the inner perimeter of the organization facility.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team conducts compliance audits of gambling advertising: we will check all your existing and planned placements against the ban and the exceptions of the law and give you a conclusion on which element requires change.
Contact us through Legal.ge — our audit will help your project avoid advertising-related risks.
During the audit we focus on three cuts: a complete inventory of existing placements, their compliance with the conditions of the exceptions, and the readiness of the contractual documentation — since lawfulness concerns not only the physical placement but also its contractual framing. You will receive the list of identified defects and the ways of correcting them in the form of a conclusion, which will also insure your further communication.