The Legal Axis of Exit: Who Administers Cancellation
Exiting the gambling business begins with the recognition that under Georgian law a permit does not disappear by private decision. Under the Law of Georgia on Organising Lotteries, Gambling and Profitable Games, the issuance of permits to organise gambling and profitable games and to supply games, amendments to them, their cancellation and the passage of the corresponding data through the departmental permit registry are administered by the Revenue Service, in accordance with the Law on Licences and Permits and this law. An exit plan must therefore begin with a formalised procedure before a state authority — not with simply locking the door.
The continuation-of-control rule matters as well: the Revenue Service exercises control over the fulfilment of permit conditions through the selected person and the electronic control system, and where a violation exists, an inspection of fulfilment may be conducted for the period of the currently valid permit too. In other words, exit does not rewind the past: violations committed during the permit's validity may become the subject of inspection even after departure. The deadline for paying an imposed fine is likewise set by law — 30 calendar days from delivery of the individual administrative-legal act.
Before Cessation — the Written Notice
The law sets a single governing obligation for the organiser: before ceasing or renewing gambling or profitable-game activity, the organiser must notify the Revenue Service in writing about the cessation or renewal. This norm is the first formal step of the exit process: the notice must precede the actual cessation, not follow it. In practice this also means that a “silent shutdown” — closing the premises without informing the regulator — is itself the commission of a violation of the same law.
During the exit period, player-related obligations remain in force: the organiser must register issued winnings, maintain the electronic database and submit the corresponding information to the Financial Monitoring Service in the manner established by legislation; on request, it must give the player a written certificate concerning the receipt of winnings; and it must decide on a player's complaint within the period provided by the conditions of the game (the regulations). An exit plan should therefore also contain a calendar for closing these obligations — urgent player disputes arise precisely at this stage.
Partial Cessation and the Regime of Derived Permits
One of the most practical rules concerning linked permits works precisely in the exit perspective. Where the activity provided for by a casino permit ceases or is suspended, the activity under the system-electronic casino-games organisation permit issued on its basis may continue during the current quarter, but for no more than 60 calendar days. The same rule applies to the slots hall and the totalizator: upon cessation or suspension of the basic permit's activity, work under the system-electronic permit taken on its basis continues within the same time frame. And where a totalizator organisation permit is cancelled, the system-electronic totalizator games organisation permit issued on its basis is terminated as well.
Applying these norms in exit planning works in both directions: if the group closes the basic premises but temporarily continues online operations, the 60-day window and the quarter boundary form the maximum within which that is lawful; exceeding it already counts as unpermitted operation. The online channel's shutdown date must therefore be planned together with the basic premises' cessation date — and not later.
Closing the Fees: the Levy Layer
Exit also settles the financial layer. On the permit-fee side, the Law of Georgia on Licensing and Permit Fees establishes the order: upon early cancellation of a permit, the permit holder is no longer obliged to pay the remaining part of the corresponding permit fee. On the gambling-business-fee side, payment under the Law on the Gambling Business Fee is tied to the acquisition of the fee-payment marker — after exit, the acquisition of new markers stops, while unpaid obligations remain debts. The fines layer closes under the deadline described above: 30 calendar days from delivery of the act.
Counting these three layers together — permit fee, gambling-business fee and fines — constitutes the financial model of exit. Before deciding on the exit itself, it is advisable to compile a list of mandatory payments: unpaid levies, pending fines, operating costs connected to the selected person — since the choice of the exit date can, within lawful limits, also be an instrument of cost optimisation.
Exit Planning and the Foreign-Licence Layer
The sequential map of a Georgian exit looks like this: first — a written notice to the Revenue Service about the cessation, before it happens; second — closing the player-related obligations in the manner set by the regulations; third — taking into account the time frame of linked permits (quarter/60 calendar days) for the online channel; fourth — the cancellation of the permit and its passage through the registry with the Revenue Service; fifth — settling the fees and fines; sixth — the corporate layer (liquidation/reorganisation) under company-law legislation.
If the group also holds foreign licences, the exit becomes multi-jurisdictional: the return or cancellation of each foreign licence proceeds under the respective regulator's procedure, and the details of those procedures must be clarified directly with the same regulators — our series on foreign gambling licences describes each jurisdiction on a separate page. The general rule is one: the cancellation of a foreign licence does not extinguish Georgian obligations — the written notice, the closing of player relations and the settling of fees must separately take place within the framework of Georgian law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who administers the cancellation of a permit in Georgia?
The Revenue Service — under the Law on Licences and Permits and the gambling law; amendments and cancellations pass through the departmental permit registry.
When must the organiser notify the cessation of activity?
Before cessation — in writing, to the Revenue Service; the same obligation applies to renewal.
How long can online operations continue after the basic premises close?
During the current quarter, but for no more than 60 calendar days; where the basic totalizator permit is cancelled, the derived system-electronic permit is terminated outright.
Is the paid permit fee refunded on an early exit?
No, but upon early cancellation of the permit the holder is no longer obliged to pay the remaining part — a rule established by the Law on Licensing and Permit Fees.
Does control continue after exit?
Where a violation exists, an inspection may be conducted for the period of the currently valid permit — violations of the permit's validity period remain subject to inspection after exit; a fine is payable within 30 calendar days of delivery of the act.
How We Help on Legal.ge
We assemble the exit process as a single project: from preparing the written notice and the calendar for closing player relations, through planning the time frame of linked permits, to the cancellation of the permit, its passage through the registry and the settling of fees and fines. For multi-jurisdiction structures, we map the return of each foreign licence against its regulator's procedures. Contact us on Legal.ge and receive the legal plan of your exit.