Belarus Moves to Ban Online Gambling Advertising

Belarus is preparing to take a much harder line on gambling advertising, with a draft law that would shut down most online promotion of casinos, betting and other gambling products.

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The proposal comes from the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade and has already been sent to relevant government bodies for approval. It is not yet law.

If adopted, the restrictions would reach well beyond casino websites themselves. Advertising for gambling and electronic interactive games would be prohibited online, while advertising for lotteries and gambling establishments would also face restrictions. Similar rules are proposed for advertising placed in transport.

That would mark a significant change for an industry that only recently gained a clearer digital advertising route.

In January, Google updated its Belarus gambling advertising policy to accept ads from properly licensed operators. Online poker, sports betting, online casino games and state lotteries could be advertised, provided the relevant licensing or authorisation requirements were met and advertisers obtained certification.

The proposed Belarusian law would move in the opposite direction.

The restrictions go beyond where gambling can be advertised

The draft also targets what gambling advertising can contain.

Casinos and other gambling businesses would not be allowed to use images of people or animals in their advertisements. Promotional material would also be barred from including information about bonuses that can be used to place bets.

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The proposal is part of a wider tightening of gambling controls in Belarus.

Since March 11, 2026, new rules under Presidential Decree No. 226 have placed additional requirements on the gambling sector. Belarusian banks have also been required to block payments by citizens to foreign online casinos, directing gambling activity toward locally licensed operators.

That makes the advertising proposal particularly important for the online market. Licensed operators may still be able to operate, but the channels available to reach customers would become considerably narrower if the draft becomes law.

There are other advertising changes under consideration as well. The government is proposing limits on when gambling and lottery advertising can appear on television and radio, adding restrictions to the proposed internet and transport bans.

For now, the measure remains a draft. The next step is the approval process across the relevant agencies. Its final wording could still change before lawmakers consider it.

But the direction is already clear: Belarus is tightening control not only over where gambling can operate, but over how prominently the industry can market itself.

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Source: wnhub.io