Georgia launches tender process for new lottery operator

Updating the market, Georgia legislators have this week announced the launch of tender proposal process from lottery and igaming service providers to run its national lottery provisions.

The Georgian government has asked interested parties to submit initial proposals for a ten-year contract, outlining multi-channel lottery services for retail and digital provisions.

Detailing initial caveats for its tender process, the Georgian government is reported to have set a pitch criteria requesting only bids from operators who have serviced lottery provisions which have generated no less than 350 million lari (circa $150 million) in the past five years.

The winning party will pay the Georgian government 5 million Lari in order to acquire its lottery licence. The new license holder will be required to pay 8 % of lottery ticket receipts every quarter.

Georgia which has a population of around 4.5 million, first privatised its lottery in 2009 when the contract was awarded to the Georgian Lottery Company. Since 2011 its national lottery has been operated by the Georgian Post, the state-owned postal service.

Seeking to boost further boost tax revenues, Georgian ministers have been in discussions of re-privatising its national lottery.

Industry news sources have reported that international lottery operators, Camelot, IGT, Tatts and Intralot are assessing whether to submit bid proposals for the Georgian government.

The Georgian government has opened its lottery bid deadline until 12 December.