Georgian Patriarchate says it cannot stay out of casino tournament legislation debate
The Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate says it was not consulted on a bill allowing casinos to host international gambling tournaments and cannot remain on the sidelines.Summary
Archpriest Andria Jaghmaidze, head of the Georgian Patriarchate's Public Relations Service, told Interpressnews that the Patriarchate has not yet held extensive discussions on a legislative package permitting casinos to organize international gambling tournaments but cannot stay on the sidelines. He said the initiative came as a complete surprise because there had been no prior communication with the Church, unlike the 2017 process in which the Patriarchate was a direct initiator and main participant and which led to gambling regulations the Church welcomed. Jaghmaidze said the Patriarchate had reviewed the public defender's position and largely shares its arguments, and expressed hope that dialogue with the bill's sponsors would produce a positive outcome. Parliament has approved the package in its first reading under an expedited procedure, with second and third readings scheduled for the October 28 plenary session. The amendments would let casino permit holders organize international gambling tournaments in which at least 70% of participants are foreign nationals, exempt organizers from gambling business fees when a gaming table is used exclusively for a tournament with a prize pool exceeding GEL 3 million, and set fines of GEL 50,000 for violations of permit conditions and GEL 150,000 for unauthorized organizers. Shota Berekashvili, chair of Parliament's Economic Policy Committee and a sponsor of the bill, has argued that an international gambling tournament is not gambling in the direct sense, that similar competitions are held in several European cities, and that the initiative aims to support the tourism sector during the off-season.
(Source：Georgia Today)