Armenia’s parliament has tightened regulation of the gambling industry, adopting amendments that provide for the swift blocking of illegal gaming websites through a dedicated online resource, as well as sharp restrictions on gambling advertising. Now it will be permitted only on the facades of buildings and in the offices of gambling companies.

The National Assembly passed the amendments to the Law “On the Regulation of Gaming Activities,” the Law “On Advertising,” and a number of related laws in the second and final reading last week.

According to Rafael Gevorkyan, Deputy Chairman of the State Revenue Committee, Armenia’s gambling sector has changed significantly: mobile apps and websites have made betting and participation in online games far more accessible.

He noted that while current legislation permits the blocking of online resources, the measure is not sufficiently effective. Circumvention tools, such as VPNs, allow users to bypass restrictions, and the legal procedure for blocking websites is too slow and cumbersome. 

In view of this, the adopted amendments introduce a three-tier protection system that, while not eliminating the risks entirely, is expected to significantly reduce them. 

“An online resource will be created within the State Revenue Committee, where our staff will promptly add websites subject to blocking daily, based on monitoring results,” Gevorkyan said.

Telecommunications operators will be required to block resources included in the so-called blacklist. Only websites on the whitelist, established through licensing, will be allowed to operate in Armenia.

Source

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