Yerevan Targets Shadow Betting Markets in Sweeping Regulatory Realignment
A digital iron curtain is being designed for Armenia’s gambling market. State financial authorities are moving to force internet service providers to blacklist unauthorized wagering platforms, while simultaneously ordering commercial banks to freeze the financial plumbing that keeps illicit operations liquid.
The strategy, recently advanced by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, targets a stubborn grey economy. Rather than chasing individual users, the state plans to squeeze the infrastructure supporting unapproved operators. Commercial banks will be required to scan transaction traffic and block outgoing transfers flagged under specific gambling merchant category codes.
This infrastructure squeeze is paired with strict advertising restrictions. Under the proposed framework, marketing for unauthorized platforms will be outlawed entirely across domestic digital spaces. Licensed operators will not escape the tightening scrutiny either; every advertisement for a legal casino, digital slot machine, lottery, or sportsbook will require electronic pre-clearance from regulators before publication. Any promotional material deemed deceptive or legally non-compliant will be denied approval.
The administrative burden of this crackdown falls heavily on the State Revenue Committee. Deputy Chairman Rafael Gevorkyan presented the statutory updates to lawmakers, signaling a shift toward proactive digital enforcement. Should the parliament pass the amendments, a ninety-day window will open for the government to finalize the technical blueprints for web blocking and banking compliance.
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On the ground, physical venues face an operations overhaul. The draft legislation mandates that domestic players in land-based gambling halls exchange chips exclusively through cashless transactions tied to verified personal bank accounts. Foreign nationals are excluded from this tracking requirement, leaving a narrow compliance loophole intended to protect tourism revenue. Furthermore, lottery coordinators will be bound by strict payout ratios, forcing draw-based games to return at least half of total ticket sales back into the primary prize pool.
This regulatory push follows a steep hike in industry taxes, which saw some state levies double. Despite the friction these new compliance mechanisms will introduce to the financial and tech sectors, state budget analysts claim the enforcement apparatus will not dent public revenues or require major state expenditure. The draft legislation now sits on the full National Assembly agenda, awaiting a definitive vote.
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Source: igamingexpress.com
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