Armenia Bans Unlicensed Firms From Using Gambling Terms in Branding

Armenia has introduced new rules that prevent companies without a gambling licence from using words tied to betting and casino activities in their branding. 

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The law, which takes effect on February 8, 2027, sets fines of 500,000 AMD ($1,400) for violations and applies across several areas of business identity. Regulators made clear that the restrictions are not limited to online wording but extend to company names, trade names, trademarks, website domains, and physical signs.

The legislation lists specific terms that unlicensed firms cannot use, including “gambling,” “casino,” “gaming hall,” “online gambling,” “lottery,” and “bookmaking activities.” 

Officials explained that the rule is designed to stop firms from presenting themselves as gambling operators when they lack approval to run such activities. The law closes gaps that previously allowed unlicensed businesses to market themselves with casino‑style branding while avoiding regulation.

More changes coming in February 

Alongside the branding restrictions, Armenia is preparing another set of measures that will take effect on February 8, 2027. 

These amendments to the Law “On Regulation of Gaming Activities” are aimed at tightening control over online gambling and lottery sites that operate without Armenian licences. The State Revenue Committee explained that the new system will rely on telecommunications operators to block access, making enforcement more effective than before. 

Speaking in July, Deputy Head of the State Revenue Committee Rafael Gevorgyan highlighted why these changes are necessary. He noted that “the gambling industry in Armenia has changed significantly: mobile apps and websites have made betting and online gaming much more accessible.” 

Current legislation already allows internet blocking, but he admitted its impact is limited because operators often use VPNs and create new sites faster than regulators can block them. 

To address this, the amendments will introduce a three‑tiered protection system and create an online resource within the State Revenue Committee. “An online resource will be created within the State Revenue Committee, where employees will promptly and daily add websites subject to blocking based on monitoring results,” Gevorgyan explained, according to an Arka Telecom report.

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Telecommunications operators will then be required to block sites on the “blacklist,” while only those on the “whitelist” licensed and regulated will be allowed to operate. 

The rules also extend to advertising. Companies that do not hold Armenian licences will be barred from promoting their services. 

No stopping for Armenia gambling reforms

Armenia’s gambling reforms have unfolded step by step over the past two years. The process began in June 2024, when parliament approved a new framework that came into force on January 1, 2025.

That law laid the foundation for a centralised digital system designed to monitor gambling activity in real time. Through this platform, all licensed operators, both online and land‑based, are connected, allowing regulators to track wagers, deposits, and losses instantly

Malta‑based RegTech firm Random Systems International was awarded a 15‑year licence to manage the system, ensuring long‑term oversight.  

The reform has since evolved to require licensed operators to include a visible self‑exclusion button on websites and apps and to ban people receiving social assistance, pensioners, bankrupt individuals, and those in state‑funded programs from online gambling. 

A personal income cap restricting gambling activity to no more than 20% of a player’s declared annual income has since been added, too.

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