What the Dependent and Prohibited Person Lists Are
In the gambling sphere, the “black list” combines two different mechanisms, and distinguishing them is decisive. Article 3 of the law defines: a person dependent on gambling is a natural person with an irresistible desire for and dependence on gambling and promotional games, whose data has been entered in the list of dependent persons. A prohibited person is something else: a person who is prohibited by law from participating in gambling and promotional games (except promotional draws) — including where the game is organised in systematic-electronic form.
The circle of prohibited persons is set by the law itself: a person employed in a budgetary organisation — including civil and public servants and persons in state-political and political positions; a person employed in a regulatory authority; a person employed in the National Bank; and a member of a family registered in the unified database of socially vulnerable families. So if you are on a list, the first task is to determine which list it concerns — self-exclusion or status-based prohibition — because the way out is completely different in each case.
The Mechanics of the List: Entry and Term
Article 7-1 provides that the list of dependent persons and the list of prohibited persons are maintained by the Revenue Service, and only data concerning a citizen of Georgia may be entered in these lists. Data enters the dependent persons list in two ways: on the basis of the person’s own application — a statement on entering their own data — or on the basis of a judge’s order, in accordance with the administrative procedural legislation.
The term is clearly defined: data in the dependent persons list is entered for a term of 5 years. That is the real price of self-exclusion — for five years, participation in gambling, including in systematic-electronic form, is blocked.
The Two Possibilities for Removal
Early removal of data is possible only in two cases: where the person’s Georgian citizenship has been terminated in accordance with the Organic Law on Georgian Citizenship, or on the basis of a judge’s order — no earlier than 3 years from entry into the list. The law provides no other route: neither the operator’s consent, nor a conditional application, nor a “temporary exit” exists.
From this follows a practical rule: a self-exclusion application should be filed correctly and in a considered manner, and if you want removal from the list, the judge’s order is the only real mechanism before the term expires — and it can be used only after 3 years have passed from entry. The procedures for maintaining the lists are established by normative acts of the Minister of Finance and of the Government, so the procedural details are determined by those acts.
The Consequences of Self-Exclusion in Practice
The consequences of being on a list are also secured from the organiser’s side: Article 29 obliges the organiser of the game not to admit to play persons entered in the dependent persons list and the prohibited persons list, and admission to the place of the game — including in systematic-electronic form — is possible only upon presentation of an identity document or another lawful document confirming identity. The age limit sits in the same norm: persons who are citizens of Georgia under 25, and foreign citizens or stateless persons under 18, are not admitted to play.
For the systematic-electronic form there is an additional guarantee: the organiser must ensure the registration, identification and verification of every player, and re-verify the person annually from the date of verification. This means the list is a kind of living filter — it checks a person’s status at every login and every year.
The Player’s Rights in This Process
Article 29 also protects the player’s interests: the organiser is obliged to adopt a decision on a claim within the period provided for by the draw conditions (the regulations), to give the player, upon request, a written certificate of the receipt of winnings, and to keep confidential the data on the amounts won or lost by the player — information about them is released only in cases provided for by law.
This last point connects directly to self-exclusion: the fact of being on the list and the related data are under a confidentiality regime, and its violation is a ground for the organiser’s liability. From the player’s position, it is important to request information about list status only through lawful channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one be removed from the list at any time?
No. Data is entered for a term of 5 years, and early removal is possible only upon termination of citizenship or by a judge’s order — no earlier than 3 years from entry.
Is self-exclusion different from prohibition?
Yes: you enter the dependent persons list by self-exclusion or a judge’s order, while the prohibited persons list is determined by status — employment, work in a regulatory authority or the National Bank, or registration as a socially vulnerable family.
How does the operator check the list?
Upon admission to the place of the game the organiser requests an identity document and checks the lists; in the systematic-electronic form, annual re-verification is carried out.
Who maintains the lists?
The Revenue Service, and only with data on citizens of Georgia; the maintenance procedures are established by separate normative acts.
How We Help on Legal.ge
We will help determine which list your situation concerns, correctly file the self-exclusion or removal application, prepare the materials needed for a judge’s order, and protect the confidentiality of your data. Contact us on Legal.ge — in list-related matters a timely step changes a five-year period.