Tbilisi, August 20, 2026
Photo: sazu.ge
The Georgian Orthodox Church published a statement on Tuesday, August 18, warning of the dangers of allowing minors to be involved in gambling, after several recent incidents in which children were reportedly included in gambling-related public events across the country.
The Patriarchate said that multiple cases had recently come to light in various Georgian cities in which minors were drawn into events involving gambling held in public gathering spaces, saying the matter should prompt an appropriate response from relevant government agencies.
According to the statement, videos circulating on social media show the activities being conducted in front of broad audiences, with children given the opportunity to take part.
The Church said it was especially concerned that involving young people in gambling, even in the form of entertainment, could contribute to the development of interest in gambling and a later tendency toward gambling addiction. It noted that gambling addiction and dependency remain a serious problem for both society and the country, often requiring lengthy and complex assistance, including medical and psychological help, to overcome.
The Patriarchate calls on the state to give the issue maximum attention, to investigate such cases, and to use all relevant legal and administrative mechanisms to eliminate them. It also urges parents to exercise particular caution, since encouraging children toward gambling in any form could lead to severe consequences in the future for the young person, their family, and society as a whole.
Georgia’s domestic gambling market operates under a regulated licensing system, with the minimum age for citizens to gamble set at 25. As of 2026, more than 1.57 million people—over 40% of the country’s population—are listed on a national gambling prohibition registry, which automatically includes individuals under 25 and public sector employees. A separate voluntary registry has also recorded more than 36,000 people who have sought to be excluded from gambling due to addiction concerns since 2022.
The Romanian Orthodox Church also issued a warning about the social and moral dangers of gambling in April of this year.
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