Bishop Anton on the initiative concerning casinos: We will gather on October 30 and express our views: everything needs an explanation; sometimes the opposition portrays even an ordinary issue as if a bomb were about to go off; sometimes the opposite is true - we are concerned, too

“Everything needs to be explained because, to be honest, sometimes the opposition portrays even an ordinary issue in such a way that you would think a bomb was about to go off. But when you look into it, that turns out not to be the case. Sometimes, the opposite is true. We are concerned, too, and we will reach a common position. The Patriarchate will certainly express its views on this matter. Of course, we cannot remain indifferent,” Metropolitan Anton of Vani and Baghdati told InterpressNews, commenting on the legislative package that would allow casinos to host international gambling tournaments in Georgia.

According to the clergyman, the Patriarchate will meet on October 30 to discuss the issue and will subsequently present a unified position to the public.

“From what I can see on the surface, I somehow perceive certain risks. The day after tomorrow, we will gather at the Patriarchate and express our views. We are not familiar with the details. I saw it discussed on television, and we will, of course, examine what it involves and how it would work, then express our position. To be honest, many things are unclear, but perhaps they can explain them to us.

We do not have an enemy or a hostile state. I know that the country is moving in a good direction, and there is probably something here that I do not know, something that we do not know. We will certainly discuss this issue; we will not leave it unaddressed. The Patriarchate will definitely respond to it. After consulting with the bishops, we will make our position known.

Moreover, the new bishop is keen to engage, and there are issues on which the government has taken our concerns into account. For example, we asked for explanations regarding electronic money. In short, work is underway, and we are cooperating very well. So far, there have been no disagreements, and I believe we will meet and work everything out,” Metropolitan Anton said.

For context, Parliament fast-tracked the legislative package and approved it at the first reading, paving the way for casinos to host international gambling tournaments. The amendments affect the Law on the Organization of Lotteries, Gambling and Games of Chance, as well as four related laws.

The initiative, drafted by lawmakers from Georgian Dream, was scheduled to be approved at the second and third readings during the October 28 plenary session.

Under the draft law, an international gambling tournament is defined as a competition organized by a casino license holder in which at least 80% of all participants must be foreign nationals.

The draft also stipulates that if an organizer uses a club table exclusively for an international tournament and the tournament’s prize pool exceeds GEL 3 million, the organizer will be exempt from paying the gambling business fee.

The amendments also establish penalties for violations of licensing conditions, set at GEL 50,000. A fine of GEL 150,000 would apply if an unauthorized person violates the rules governing the organization of an international gambling tournament.

Shota Bereкаshvili, Chair of Parliament’s Economic Policy Committee and one of the bill’s sponsors, explained that an international gambling tournament is not, strictly speaking, a gambling game and that such competitions are held in numerous European cities. According to him, the initiative aims to support the tourism sector during the off-season.