Georgia annually loses up to $740 million due to illegal online casinos – this estimate is provided by the Georgian Gambling Business Association. According to its head, Giorgi Mamulaishvili, the surge in the shadow segment began after the tax burden on the industry increased in 2021.

Industry representatives claim that legal operators are actively fighting illegal platforms, but a significant portion of funds goes outside the country and does not enter the tax system. This directly affects budget revenues and reduces the effectiveness of market regulation.

At the same time, the Ministry of Finance of Georgia assesses the situation differently. According to the agency, in 2025, the gambling sector brought about $670 million to the budget, and the share of the illegal segment remains insignificant. Thus, the parties' estimates differ significantly, and the question of the problem's scale remains open.