The gambling business association says the state’s decision to significantly increase fines in the sector effectively targets legal operators instead of focusing on illegal gambling activity. According to the association, most licensing violations are caused by technical issues rather than intentional misconduct by companies.
Association head Giorgi Mamulaishvili says the sharp rise in penalties will mainly affect land-based casinos and could harm the legal sector. He argues that legal operators have consistently complied with taxes and regulations, while still facing stricter penalties for minor or technical breaches.
He also points out that illegal gambling platforms remain a major unresolved issue in Georgia and globally. Mamulaishvili says the industry has repeatedly offered cooperation to the government to help tackle illegal operators using its expertise and resources.
Under the new changes, fines for violations have increased significantly, for example, casino licensing violations now carry a 20,000 GEL fine instead of 7,000, while gambling machine hall penalties have increased tenfold. Failure to pay fees or repeated violations can also lead to automatic suspension of operating licenses.
