Those who live in Georgia and want to place a few bucks down on a chance will not have as many opportunities as those in other states. There are only a few legal, land based venues throughout the state to offer players a chance to gamble such as the state lottery, a handful of Bingo halls and one casino boat. This does not however, mean that locals of the Peach State must jump in the car and drive to a bordering state for fun.
With the vastness of the internet comes a smorgasbord of legal options where any Georgia resident may feel free to wager to their heart’s content. Whether it is the thrill of a virtual casino, a hot game of online poker or a sports betting site filled with propositions, users in Georgia are able to find their preferred means of winning. This page will serve as a guide to all those looking for the best online gambling sites that are safe, secure and above all else, legal.
With laws such as the Federal Wire Act and the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), sports bettors must never engage in the business of gambling or facilitating bets for profit. While US regulation strictly forbids this, bettors may place a wager on their favorite teams and players. It is only the venues in which to do so that are now hard to come by for sports fans with only a handful of locations in places such as Las Vegas available. Georgia fans must turn to other means to satiate their betting endeavors.
Local laws are much the same as federal policies that govern the entire nation. While 'Commercial Gambling' is illegal, the simple act of placing a bet for personal winnings is not. There may be no sportsbooks available within the Peach State but due to the lack of mention of the internet in regards to sports betting, there are plenty of options when it comes to legal gambling in Georgia.
There are no land based betting options available to Georgia residents. Locals must turn to legal online sportsbooks for Georgia players to make a wager on the Dawgs or Yellow Jackets if they wish to remain within the rule of law. With the only parameter for legality being an online sportsbook’s location outside of both federal and state jurisdictions, there are numerous options. All of our top recommended online sportsbooks are located in such places as nearby Canada and offer a chance for legal sports betting from the comfort of any Georgia home.
Georgia residents are free to visit an online casino if they visit only legal venues. This requires a brief review of federal and state policies that thankfully allow for locals to visit and wager upon any site that is located outside of both federal and state jurisdictions. If a player is not engaged in the business of gambling and is visiting a network based outside of the United States, they are within the realm of law.
Our federal laws target those who operate online gambling businesses within the United States and not mere participants. This erases any hope for a local network to facilitate bets for those in Georgia but it does not eliminate those sites that are located elsewhere.
Georgia’s state constitution follows the federal rule of thumb as well with the only targets of gambling investigation or enforcement being facilitators and operators located within state jurisdiction. Commercial gambling is a felony; however, authorities typically ignore those who participate in online games that are only for personal winnings. Georgia does not appear to attack any citizen for pulling the lever on a virtual slot machine provided it is located elsewhere.
Georgia only supplies one land-based betting option for their citizens within its borders. The Emerald Princess Dinner & Casino Cruise departs from Brunswick every day to travel three miles into international waters for legal casino games such as slots and blackjack. This is hardly a viable option for many as departure times are difficult to match up with a preferred schedule let alone the time required to set aside for an excursion into the Atlantic Ocean that one must commit to. It’s a good thing that legal online casinos for Georgia residents provide such a strong option – they are seemingly the only one.
Luckily, Georgia residents are able to play all of their favorite casino games from the comfort and safety of home without having to travel. Our recommended online casinos feature all of the wagering options one might find under the bright lights of Las Vegas, in a legal manner right here in Georgia.
As is the case with gambling at an online casino, there are federal and local laws to take into account before stacking up the chips. The Federal Wire Act and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) both played a hand in hampering sites from operating from within U.S. borders but did little to affect those legal sites which operate from foreign locations. The business of gambling and facilitating bets is illegal here, but not elsewhere. Since the mere act of placing a bet in a card game is legal, anyone in Georgia may to visit an offshore site and wager in a hand of Texas Hold ‘Em or Omaha.
The State’s local policies may hold a dim view on gambling in general within the state with only one legal live card room available, but Georgia’s constitution does not mention the internet in any way. Since online poker remains unregulated, there is nothing preventing a player from simply following the federal laws and visiting legal sites based outside of the United States.
It is a stroke of good luck for card players in Georgia that they are indeed able to visit and play upon Georgia online poker rooms since the one and only card room in the Peach State spends the majority of its time in the Atlantic Ocean. The Emerald Princess Dinner & Casino Cruise departs daily into international waters from Brunswick and is oftentimes hard to make a reservation to board. While it is nice to have the option when free time allows, most players in Georgia elect to play their favorite card game for real money from the comfort of their own home over the internet.
Our recommended online poker rooms exist outside of both federal and state jurisdiction and are available for legal use to any resident of the Peach State.
With so many options for legal Georgia gambling, it may be a bit overwhelming to find the best sites to do so. We have taken it upon ourselves to discover the very best in online casinos, online poker and online sports betting for all those in Georgia looking to score a big win. Our favorites are located outside of both Georgia and Federal jurisdictions as well as offer safe and secure networks where financial transactions are guaranteed along with ample customer support, privacy and discretion. Many of these sites have been in business for decades and despite their foreign locations, are of a specific design just for U.S. players.
One of our favorite online gambling sites is the fantastic network found at Bovada.lv. Having initially started as an American site, changing interpretations of our federal regulations forced them to move to Canada. Based well outside of U.S. regulation, this online gambling site continues to serve the American public through its stellar online casino, join the largest online poker network in the country as well as an online sportsbook that rivals if not surpasses those found in Las Vegas.
With powerful endorsements from such brands as ESPN, USA Today and Yahoo Sports, players from every corner of Georgia are able to visit Bovada safely and legally without worry or concern for breaking any laws. Deposits and payouts at this online gambling site also boast efficient and secure transactions as users in Georgia are able to receive a check of their winnings within four to seven business days. With every form of gambling covered under one site, it is no secret why Peach State players find themselves members with Bovada's all-inclusive gaming site.