Why Are Casinos Illegal In Georgia?
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When it comes to gambling and casinos, state laws vary greatly depending on the regulations of a specific region. Some have lighter restrictions for casino owners and players, while others ban gambling activities at all.
As for Georgia, it has relatively strict gambling laws, as they prohibit betting on dog or horse racing or casinos of any kind. To be more precise, the only type of gambling that is explicitly legal in Georgia is raffles designed for charitable companies.
In addition, the gambling statute of this state also specifically prohibits chain letters, dogfighting, and pyramid schemes.
To have a better understanding of what type of quick payout slots and gambling is allowed and what is banned completely, check the article below.
Like other states and countries, Georgia defines gaming as making bets upon the final outcome of an event or game, or games played with balls, dice, or cards, to obtain monetary prizes or other things of value. This covers wagering on local or professional sports teams and organizing a small poker game in your house. Illegal gambling can also cover holding a raffle or lottery that doesn’t follow a charitable purpose.
The list of banned betting sports, fast payout casinos, and gambling activities is pretty long in Georgia. Its gambling laws and regulations expressly forbid multiple forms of gaming. And even if some types of games and casinos are not included in these laws, it doesn’t mean they are allowed.
In general, the gambling laws in Georgia prohibit the following forms of gambling:
- Dog Racing;
- Horse Racing;
- Maintenance of gambling equipment or gambling places;
- Casinos;
- Commercial Gambling;
- Election Gambling;
- Chain Letters;
- Dog Fighting;
- Pyramid Schemes.
If you have any doubts about whether or not a specific type of gambling is allowed, you can ask for help from a local attorney.
To our surprise, lottery games are allowed in some special cases in Georgia. The best example is The Georgia State Lottery – although it is a form of gambling, it is still not prohibited.
It’s mainly because the biggest part of funds generated from the lottery are used for scholarships and education.
The game of lottery is all about scratching tickets and picking a series of numbers.
Apart from the state lottery, the only types of gambling that are legalized in Georgia are raffles and bingo.
The state gambling regulations make a distinction between non-recreational and recreational bingo. The difference is that the first one is legal in Georgia. To be considered as recreational bingo, the game should follow the principles below:
- All rewards are non-cash, and the value of the given rewards for each game should not exceed $15.
- The users don’t pay any fees or charges to participate in games.
Some other cases where Bingo can be considered recreational include:
- Sessions, which are organized by tax-exempt companies with proper licenses where all participants are senior citizens.
- Sessions, where all players reside in retirement houses, senior centers, hospitals, or nursing homes.
All other Bingo games with rewards valued at more than the mentioned $15 or where users have to pay a commission are labeled as non-recreational Bingo. Non-recreational bingo, unlike recreational one, is illegal unless it is organized by a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that holds a specific bingo license.
This type of Bingo game executed by a licensed company can’t pay more than $3,000 per week or $1,500 in prizes per session.
Organizations with proper licenses can also hold raffles. Bingo lovers in the state can visit legally regulated and licensed online bingo halls, which are located outside of the United States and are within a jurisdiction that allows online gambling within its territories.
You probably have noticed that many states in the country make an exemption for home games like poker. However, there is no such exemption that players and poker fans in Georgia could take advantage of.
Any real estate or building used for gambling purposes is considered a gambling place. Thus, even poker games you hold with your relatives and close friends at home are illegal.
As the law of gambling specifically notes that all types of gambling are prohibited, you can not see card rooms, slot machines, or board games in the state of Georgia.
The only way residents of this state can access casino games is the gambling platforms located outside of Georgia.
In a place where gambling is prohibited, casino lovers will surely try different means to access their favorite games and entertainment options that support their favorite payment systems, such as Paysafecard. But why doing so is not a good idea? It’s because illegal gaming is a kind of criminal offense and can even result in jail time.
The exact punishment form and duration for participating in illegal gambling activities can change with the form of gaming or the amount you wagered. The punishment will be quite serious if you organize lotteries or games for personal profit.
