By Jane Shaw
Editor at Casinos.US
Updated: April 4, 2024
We count on Jane to inform our readers about the latest slot games in the US market. With her passion for video games and a degree in engineering, she's our gambling tech expert. Jane's also active in our blog section, where she tackles the curiosities and changes in the industry.
All casinos, including Indian casinos, are not permitted in Georgia, so you won’t find any Georgia casinos at all. The only option for those wanting a casino experience within the state is to head to the cruise ship casino in Brunswick, which sails out of state lines to allow gambling. Alternatively, the neighboring states of Florida, Alabama and North Carolina have casinos that Georgia residents can visit.
A racino is essentially a horse racing track with a casino, and you won’t find any of them in Georgia. This is because both casinos and betting on horses is not permitted. It is possible to hop the border and bet on horses in both Alabama and Florida though.
There is one cruise ship casino in Georgia, called the Emerald Princess. While gambling in Georgia is illegal in nearly all forms, the ship is able to get around this by taking passengers out to sea and out of the jurisdiction of Georgia. Once far enough out, it is legal for passengers to play a whole range of casino games.
Below you’ll find the full list of casinos in Georgia, including their address. The list is a very short one, however we’ll add more venues should the state ever relax its strict laws on gambling and allow more venues to open.
| All Casinos in Brunswick | ||||
| Emerald Princess Brunswick | 1 Emerald Princess Drive, Brunswick, 31523 | |||
There are no plans for any casinos to be built in Georgia, as the state has some of the most restrictive gambling laws in the whole country. This means that you won’t be finding any gambling towns in Georgia any time soon.
Looking to find out some facts about gambling in Georgia? If so, you’ll find loads of information in the table below, including information on the legal gambling age and what games can be found in the state.
| Georgia Gambling Topics | Gambling Facts for Georgia |
|---|---|
| Number of Casinos | 1 |
| Casino Types | Cruise Ships/Riverboats |
| Casino Games Offered | Slots, Casino Poker, Poker Cash and Poker Tournaments, Roulette, Blackjack, Dice Games, Lottery, Other Games, |
| Age | 21+ Casino, |
| Smoking | Yes/No*, *Smoking inside is prohibited but there are external smoking areas in each Georgia casino |
| Drinking | Yes/No*, *Drinking while playing is allowed, but no free alcoholic drinks are served |
| Opening Hours |
24/7
,
Some casinos are closed on Easter and Christmas. Check the brands pages for more info
|
| Betting Limit | No legal limits |
| Taxation of Winnings | Yes/No, for additional details click here |
You’ll find that the cruise ship casino in Georgia offers an impressively large array of games, from slots through to table games. You can find out which casino games are offered in Georgia when you take a look through the table below…
Should you win money on a cruise boat, it will be considered taxable and must be reported to the IRS. This means that tax of 24% will be paid on anything won over the threshold for the particular game ($1200 for slots) or 300x the initial bet or more. No state tax is paid though. Anyone winning $5,000 or more in the lottery in Georgia will have to pay state income tax though. They will also have to pay federal tax on the win. We gladly provided you with answers to some of your questions.
Unfortunately for gambling fans, there haven’t been many laws passed in Georgia to legalize the pastime. In fact, aside from the lottery and charitable gaming, no forms of gambling have been legalized. Below you can see the individual pieces of legislation banning gambling and permitting lotteries.
This law makes all commercial gambling illegal in Georgia
Established a legal lottery in Georgia
The history of gambling in Georgia isn’t long, due to the state’s strict stance on the subject. You can see a timeline of the main events below…
The Emerald Princess is the only legal casino found anywhere in Georgia.
1878 Georgia bans the sale of lottery tickets.
1976 Charitable gaming in the forms of bingo and raffles are legalized.
1993 The first legal sales of lottery tickets take place in the state.
2012 Senate votes to establish a casino to pay for education. The bill is never signed into law.
There have recently been moves to expand gambling in Georgia, however they have been unsuccessful. House Resolution 378 sought to ask voters whether the state should legalize all forms of gambling, however it was not successful. The fact that efforts are being made to legalize gambling at all in this traditionally anti-gambling state is encouraging.
If you’re in Georgia and want to gamble, you’ve got two options: head to the cruise ship or hop state lines into a neighboring state. Below, you can see three hotels offering accommodation near to the Emerald Princess cruise ship, plus we’ve also found some companies who offer tours to casinos in other state.
If you’re taking a trip on the Emerald Princess, you might want to spend some time in Brunswick before or after the cruise. We’ve listed three hotels in the Brunswick area you can try – a budget hotel, an average priced hotel and a luxury hotel.
| Number of Rooms | 47 |
|---|---|
| Price Range ($) | 79-89 |
| Special Packages | "Packages for Choice Privileges members" |
| Additional Services | Free breakfast, Free Wi-Fi, Laundry service |
| Number of Rooms | 79 |
|---|---|
| Price Range ($) | 180-195 |
| Special Packages | "Special rates" |
| Additional Services | Pool, Fitness, Free parking |
| Number of Rooms | 200 |
|---|---|
| Price Range ($) | 248-429 |
| Special Packages | "Breakfast Bites and Bikes" |
| Additional Services | Dining, Fitness, Cafe |
For the best possible experience, you should visit a casino outside of Georgia. These can be found in the neighboring states of Alabama, North Carolina and Florida. There are specialist companies that organize casino excursions for Georgia residents, and you can find three of them below.
| Provider | CTA | Trips | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Connections | Visit Website |
|
|
| Grand Blessing | Visit Website |
|
|
| Capital | Atlanta |
|---|---|
| Largest Cities | Augusta, Columbus, Macon |
| Size | 59425.15 sq ft |
| Population | 10,617,423 (2019) |
| Time Zone | Eastern: UTC -5/-4 |
| Abbreviation | GA, Ga. |