Georgia to consider steeper fines for gambling licence breaches

Draft amendments submitted to Parliament seek to increase penalties across all gambling verticals.

Georgia.- The government of Georgia has introduced a legislative initiative proposing increases in fines for violations of gambling licensing conditions. The amendments submitted to Parliament by the Ministry of Finance are expected to be reviewed in the coming weeks.

The proposal would modify the Law on Arranging Lotteries, Gambling and Prize Games to increase penalties for all categories of licence holders. Fines for casino operators would rise from GEL7,000 (US$3,570) to GEL20,000 (US$7,300), while slot machine salon operators would see penalties jump from GEL1,000 (US$367) to GEL10,000 (US$3,670).

Fines for gambling club licence holders and operators of gambling and prize games would increase from GEL2,000 (US$735) to GEL10,000. Operators offering casino, slot machine and totalisator games through electronic or system-based platforms would also be subject to higher penalties, rising from GEL7,000 to GEL20,000.

According to the government, the existing penalty framework has proven ineffective in ensuring compliance. It argues that, in many cases, operators find it more economically beneficial to breach licensing conditions and pay the fines rather than to adhere to regulatory requirements.

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Draft amendments submitted to Parliament seek to increase penalties across all gambling verticals. Georgia.- The government of Georgia has introduced a legislative initiative proposing increases in fines for violations of gambling licensing conditions. The amendments submitted to Parliament by the Ministry of Finance are expected to be reviewed in the coming weeks. The proposal would…