Online Gambling Georgia: Legal Casinos in GA

Are Offshore Casinos Trustworthy?

When people hear the term offshore casinos, they immediately think of black market casinos or casinos from the early days of online gambling. In reality, many offshore online casinos operate legitimately. However, one must do their research before playing at these casinos. Here are some of the factors we look at when determining the trustworthiness of offshore online casinos.

Age - New casinos are constantly popping up around the world. We tend to stay away from new casinos until they have had time to build a reputation and prove they operate above board.

Gaming Quality - When evaluating an online casino, we look at both the quantity and the quality of online casino games offered by the site. We generally avoid casinos that offer substandard gaming options, or only offer games from lower-tier gaming providers.

Casinos that partner with top-tier gaming companies like Microgaming, Real Time Gaming, and BetSoft are putting in both the time and money necessary to create a quality casino. Generally, the better the gaming, the better the casino.

Deposit Options - A potential red flag for casinos are those that have limited options for deposits. If deposits are restricted to cryptos or third-party wallets, we avoid them. The best online casinos offer various deposit options, including credit cards, e-wallets, prepaid vouchers, bank transfers, and cryptocurrency transfers.

Licensing - Just as live casinos are licensed and regulated, there are online casino licensing bodies. One of the first things we look for when evaluating an online casino is whether it is licensed. Even if a casino is licensed, that doesn't mean it is trustworthy. Some licensing bodies have lower standards than others.

Some of the top licensing agencies for online casinos include the U.K. Gambling Commission, the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission. Online regulators hold casinos to strict regulation just as national regulators hold brick-and-mortar casinos.

Accreditation - In conjunction with licensing, the top online casinos hold accreditations and certifications from third parties. These organizations provide testing and oversight to various aspects of online gambling to ensure that websites operate legitimately and all gaming is fair and honest.

Common certifications we look for include those from Verisign, Responsible Gambling, Ask Gamblers, GamCare, and more. The more certifications, the better.

Reputation - We scour the internet researching the general reputation of online casinos. Our research includes customer feedback, online casino reviews, BBB reports, awards given to websites, and any other forms of news we can find about a casino.

We understand that not all feedback will be positive. As such, we look at the broader picture to determine whether a casino has a generally positive or negative reputation.

Georgia Online Gambling Laws

Georgia is one of the most restrictive states regarding online gambling. The state explicitly prohibits most forms of online gambling. Two sections of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) address gambling.

The first is O.C.G.A. 16-12-20, which defines a bet as "an agreement that, dependent upon chance even though accompanied by some skill, one stands to win or lose something of value." This argument covers all forms of gambling bets, including those on perceived games of skill, such as online poker.

The next code is 16-12-21, which states a gambling crime is being committed when someone: "makes a bet upon the partial or final result of any game or contest or upon the performance of any participant in such game and contest."

This section of the law would effectively outlaw online slots and sports betting. 

Code 16-12-20 also states that gambling is committed when someone “plays and bets for money or other things of value at any game played with cards, dice, or balls.”

This eliminates most other forms of online gambling, such as blackjack, roulette, craps, and other online casino games.

Throughout its history, Georgia has actively sought to block gambling activities. In the late 1800s, the state would ban lotteries. In the early 2000s, the state banned video poker and other forms of video gaming terminals. This ban is also crucial for online gambling in Georgia efforts, as most online slots and casino games are considered forms of video gaming.

Sports betting is not allowed in any form in the state. The general criminal code makes sports betting illegal. Multiple attempts to legalize sports betting have been made in the past. However, none have moved to a vote in the legislature.

The only form of online gambling Georgia allows is online lottery. Georgia is one of many states that allows a state lottery, and players can make bets on the lottery online. You must be 18 to play the lottery in Georgia.

Riverboat Gambling

As mentioned before, casino gambling is illegal in Georgia. The only way citizens can gamble legally is to play in riverboat casinos. Riverboat casinos are exactly as they sound - it is a casino that is on a boat. In some states, including Iowa and Mississippi, the only way to legally gamble is on a ship. Some states require that the casinos be detached from land, while others allow the casinos to offer services while docked.

Georgia riverboat gambling works a bit differently. It is illegal to gamble at casinos in Georgia, whether online or on the water. As such, a riverboat casino must travel outside of Georgia state lines to legally offer gambling. Passengers must wait until the ship is outside of Georgia jurisdiction before they can legally gamble. You must be 21 or older to gamble on riverboats traveling outside of Georgia.

History of Online Gambling in Georgia

To regulate online gambling, Georgia citizens would have to approve it in a statewide vote. Gambling expansion must be approved through a state Constitutional amendment and then voted for by citizens. This process is complex because it requires a two-thirds majority for both the GA House and Senate. It's unlikely that Georgia will approve online gambling anytime soon. 

There is some hope, though. Georgia has online lottery ticket sales. If you wish to see how Georgia's gambling laws have evolved through the years, here is a timeline of Georgia's gambling laws. 

Top Georgia Land-Based Casinos

All casino gambling is presently illegal in Georgia. However, one riverboat casino has a port in Brunswick. 

Emerald Princess Brunswick
1 Emerald Princess Dr, Brunswick GA, 31523
250 Slot Games, 19 Table Games

Games offered include blackjack, craps, roulette, Stud poker, Triple Time poker, and Big 20 poker.