On November 9, a working debate on the Amendments to be Designed in the law on Advertising upon the initiative of the deputies of the NA Civil Contract Faction being engaged in the economic sphere was held. Parliamentarians, members of the Government and representatives of the mass media took part.
The draft law was put into circulation in parliament of the previous convocation. Numerous public debates have been held until now. In case of advertising the internet winning games and the totalizator it is designed to use the same restrictions, which are used in case of win games and casinos.
According to RA Deputy Minister of Finance Armen Hayrapetyan, the adoption of the draft law will have a positive social influence and will keep the society free from the danger of being attracted by gambling. In case of the adoption of the draft law any kind of advertising of win game, casino or game hall via internet, totalizator or their organizers will be banned by radio, television or internet.
However, the regulation cause dissatisfaction among the representatives of the media field. According to the Chairman of the Commission of Television and Radio Tigran Hakobyan, the abrupt change of the rules will have an impact on the activities, incomes and the quality of the air content of the operating TV companies in the public multiplex.
There is approximate accounting in the media field on the financial fall of the broadcasting companies. According to the media representatives, the entries received form the advertising of the win games are to be the 15%of the total income. They proposed the Government to extend the enactment of the law for two years. As the representatives of the Broadcaster companies has claimed, the advertising ban will not help at all the community to be refrained from the gambling. The latter propose a coordinated mechanism for fight.
During about 3-hour debate the legislative and executive bodies collected all concerns and made decision temporarily suspending the process in this phase.
The Deputy Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Babken Tunyan emphasized the adoption of the law free from shortcomings as much as possible. He has reminded that we are short of time, and in the near future we shall entirely complete the revision of the law.