This is not so good news about the casino industry in Republic of Georgia where casinos are almost on the verge of closing. The president of Turkey wants the Republic of Georgia to close its casinos as too many Turks are crossing the border to get their gamble on. This is an over increasing issues for Republic of Georgia where Turks regularly cross borders and enter into Republic of Georgia to gamble.
As per the Georgian media Turkish president Recep Erdogan Tayyp has asked former Georgian Prime Minister and current billionaire Bidzina Inavishvlli to use his influence to help close casinos that sit tantalizingly close to Turkey’s border.
Prime Minister Ivanishvili said:
“He’d close all casinos if it were up to him, but it’s not, and besides, the casinos contribute a lot to the Georgian economy, particularly in the Adjara region, which lies just across Turkey’s north-eastern border and contains the city of Batumi, a major tourist hub on the Black Sea coast.”
As per the official government data 11 casino permits have been issues in Batumi as compare to just three in the capital Tbilisi. Batumi’s municipal budget derived GEL2m (US$8.7m) from all types of gambling fees and taxes and out of which 81% comes from its casino operations.
Georgia imposes an annual fee of GEL 5m($216k) on casinos, but Batumi charges only GEL 250k ($108k) and this fee can be also be waived entirely if the casino operator is willing to build a new hotel of at least 100 rooms. There is another quarterly fee per slot machine and gaming table which is imposed by the state.
In 2012, Turkey and Georgia signed a deal which relaxed restriction on each other’s citizens crossing their shared border. After this relaxation as per the ambassador of Batumi hordes of Turks close their shops and head straight to the casinos here. The ambassador further added that his office reportedly gets calls from Turkish wives demanding he to locate their husbands and send them home.
Governor Nathan Deal said
“I will make my position very clear to the members of the General Assembly,” Deal told the AJC. “And I would hope they would recognize that we have so many good things going for us in the state of Georgia. This is not something I view as positive. I do not think it improves the quality of life for our citizens. And in my opinion it has very little redeeming value.”
