The Georgian Patriarchate has protested against new legislative initiatives in the gambling industry

The Georgian Orthodox Church has criticized recent amendments to the gambling law, stating that the government did not hold preliminary consultations with the Patriarchate on this matter. This was reported by the Orthodox Times.

As noted by the head of the Patriarchate’s press service, Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, the legislative initiative came as a complete surprise to the Church. He emphasized that since 2017, the Patriarchate had actively participated in the development of regulations for the gambling industry, and this process, led by the then-Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Bishop Shio, resulted in the adoption of a comprehensive package of restrictions that was well-received by the public.

“The Patriarchate cannot remain on the sidelines of such processes,” Jagmaidze emphasized, adding that the Church leadership stands in solidarity with the ombudsman’s arguments regarding the proposed changes. At present, the Georgian Parliament has already adopted amendments to the Law on the Organization of Lotteries and Gambling in the third reading. Church representatives expressed hope for continued dialogue with the bill’s authors to find a constructive solution.