The Criteria: Three Layers, One Decision
“Georgia or a foreign jurisdiction” is not one question in the gambling business — it is a bundle of three distinct decisions: where your operating company sits, where the gaming product is licensed, and who owns the structure from the Georgian side. A sound comparison rests on four criteria: the target market and lawful access to it; the full cost of licensing — fees, capital requirements and substance; the availability and speed of the regime; and the function of the licence — market entry, or a credibility document for international partners (banks, payment processors, suppliers).
Every figure on this page is anchored in the official sources of the jurisdiction concerned — the regulators' own published materials. Where no official figure exists, that is said outright: the remaining details must be confirmed with the regulator. The Georgian layer rests exclusively on Georgian legislation — a foreign licence never substitutes for access to the Georgian market.
Georgia: the Domestic Regime and Its Price
For the Georgian market the answer is unambiguous. Under the Georgian Law on Organising Lotteries, Gambling and Profitable Games, conducting any type of gambling or profitable game on the territory of Georgia, and supplying games into Georgia, requires a permit (Article 5), and that permit is issued only to an entrepreneur registered in Georgia (Article 11(2)). The law enumerates twelve permit categories — from organising a casino and system-electronic organisation to the supply of gambling games — and one system-electronic permit covers no more than 2 internet-domain websites.
The tax profile of the Georgian structure is equally defined. Under Article 80(7) of the Tax Code, the taxable object of a natural person deriving income from organising a slots hall and/or system-electronic gambling is the difference between the stakes received from players and the winnings paid out; such income is taxed at 20 percent, while income from foreign citizens' participation in system-electronic organisation is taxed at 5 percent (Article 81). The Civil Code adds an important layer: under Article 952, a lottery contract or similar games create obligations only where the game is state-permitted — so playing with a licensed Georgian operator and playing on a foreign unlicensed platform are legally different realities (Article 951: as a general rule, a claim does not arise from a game or wager).
The Premium and Middle Tier: Malta, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Kahnawake
Malta (MGA) sets the benchmark price of European premium licensing: an application fee of €5,000; a fixed annual B2C licence fee of €25,000 (Type 4 only: €10,000); a B2B annual fee of €25,000-€35,000 by annual revenue, or €3,000-€5,000 for the Back-Office form; a monthly compliance contribution with per-type minima — from €15,000 for Type 1, €25,000 for Type 2, €25,000 for Type 3 and €5,000 for Type 4 (maxima up to €375,000 for Type 1, €600,000 for Type 2 and €500,000 for Types 3 and 4); gaming tax of 5 percent of gaming revenue; minimum share capital of €100,000 for Type 1/2 and €40,000 for Type 3/4, cumulative up to €240,000; and a licence valid 10 years. One structural condition matters for Georgian groups: an application to the MGA can be made only through an entity incorporated in the EU/EEA.
Gibraltar switched to a new regime in 2026: the Gambling Act 2025 is in force since 1 April 2026 and the 2005 Act is repealed. Licence holders under the 2005 Act are deemed licensed under the new one, while a six-month transition window from commencement — roughly until 1 October 2026 — applied for the new categories. The new scope is broad: B2C for gambling businesses managed or controlled in or from Gibraltar; B2B supplies from or to Gibraltar; regulated individuals; gambling marketing conducted from Gibraltar; and persons holding more than a 25 percent share in a relevant company. The Isle of Man (GSC) operates under OGRA 2001: an application fee of £5,250 for every type; annual fees of £36,750 (Full), £5,250 (Sub-Licence), £52,500 (Network Services), £36,750 (Software Supplier) and £52,500 (Token/Blockchain-Based); substance is strict — a Manx company, at least 2 Isle-of-Man-resident directors, a designated official on the island, servers in the Isle of Man and segregated player-fund accounts in an IoM bank; the GSC explicitly reserves the right to reject “brass plate” operations. In Kahnawake, the practical entry route is a Client Provider Authorization — a $35,000 application fee and a $20,000 annual fee — appended to the single Interactive Gaming Licence, whose holder shares responsibility for the client's breaches; from 1 January 2027 the CPA application fee rises to $40,000.
Budget and Constrained Markets — and What No Longer Exists
Curaçao's new national ordinance (LOK) has been in force since 24 December 2024: the old master/sub-licence structure is abolished, the CGA now licenses operators directly, and the LBH transition is governed by Article 15.1 of the ordinance. Fees are not published on the official pages — confirm on the CGA portal. In Seychelles the regulator is the FSA (Gambling Act 2014): the interactive gambling licence application fee is SCR 50,000 with SCR 300,000 (annual/other), and the public register lists a single interactive licensee — a niche, low-capacity regime. Vanuatu regulates interactive gaming under Cap 261: an application must be made by a locally registered company, the regulator is the Director of Customs and Inland Revenue, and the statutory tax ceilings are fixed by law — at most 5 percent of turnover for fixed-odds wagering and 18 percent of gross profit in any other case. Panama's JCJ has run an internet vertical since Resolution 65/2002 but publishes no official online fee schedule. Estonia uses a two-stage model: an activity licence valid indefinitely plus operating permits — remote permits for up to 5 years (toto up to 20 years); capital minima of €1,000,000 (games of chance), €130,000 (toto) and €25,000 (skill games); state fees of €47,940, €31,960 and €3,200, plus €3,200 per operating permit; the company must be registered in Estonia or the EU and gambling must be its only activity.
Some options must be struck off the list because they officially no longer exist. Belize has an official moratorium on new online licences — per the government's notice, no online gaming companies are currently licensed to operate from Belize and any entity claiming one must immediately cease and desist. The Philippines' offshore regime (POGO/IGL) was abolished by Executive Order No. 74 of 5 November 2024, with operations to cease by 31 December 2024. Costa Rica has no online operator licence at all — a company can be registered, but that is not a licensed gambling operation.
The Georgian Cross-Border Layer: a Licence Is Not a Market
When choosing a foreign licence, the decisive point for a Georgian client is that it grants no access to the Georgian market: conducting and supplying games on Georgian territory without a Georgian permit is unlawful, and the permit is issued only to an entrepreneur registered in Georgia. The right question is therefore not “which foreign licence should I buy” but “what function does the foreign structure perform in my group, and who is its Georgian side”. If the operating company is licensed abroad, the Georgian market still requires a Georgian entrepreneur and a Georgian permit; a foreign holding is described through the Georgian tax and reporting layer — the organiser's income taxed on the margin principle at the rates above — while a player on an unlicensed foreign platform remains exposed to civil-law enforceability risk.
The comparative result shapes up as follows: for operations on the Georgian market — a Georgian entrepreneur and a Georgian permit; for an international B2B product and partner credibility — a premium or middle-tier jurisdiction matched to budget and substance capacity; budget options — only with calculated risk and a verified regulator; abolished or suspended regimes — excluded at the planning stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I operate in Georgia with a foreign licence?
No. Conducting and supplying games on Georgian territory requires a permit, and the permit is issued only to an entrepreneur registered in Georgia. A foreign licence does not substitute for this requirement.
What is the most accessible cost profile?
It depends on the function: the MGA's B2C annual fee is €25,000 (application €5,000); the Isle of Man Sub-Licence is £5,250 (application £5,250); Kahnawake's CPA application is $35,000. But the full cost is set by capital requirements and compliance contributions — Malta's capital minimum ranges from €40,000 to €100,000 by type, Estonia's from €25,000 to €1,000,000.
Which jurisdictions are no longer an option?
Belize — new online licences are suspended by official moratorium; the Philippines — the offshore regime was abolished by Executive Order No. 74; Costa Rica — no online operator licence exists at all.
What is the tax profile of a Georgian organiser?
For a natural-person organiser the taxable object is the difference between stakes received and winnings paid; the rate is 20 percent, and 5 percent for system-electronic income derived from foreign citizens' participation.
Where do I verify current conditions?
Directly with the respective regulator — MGA, GSC, the Gibraltar Gambling Division, KGC, CGA, FSA, the Estonian Tax and Customs Board; Georgian permit questions — with the Revenue Service.
How We Help on Legal.ge
We see both layers at once — the Georgian permit regime and the official terms of foreign jurisdictions. We help you choose a structure matched to your target market, budget and substance capacity, compare full costs rather than application fees alone, and prepare the complete Georgian-side package — entrepreneur registration, permit and tax profile. Contact us on Legal.ge for a comparison table built for your specific project.