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The law adopted recently was making the organizers of the internet gambling games to identify the players and their banking cards, when the latter tries to place a bet. As a result, the licensed companies appeared in a better regulated field. There are a number of problems in parallel with that: The RA Deputy Minister of Finance Avag Avanesyan voiced this.

“In particular, there are many websites rendering services for gambling games operate online, which do not pay taxes, are not licensed and are not submitted to our established rules,” the rapporteur underlined and mentioned cases, when the consumers’ rights were not protected. “The Government will set by the initiative a list of websites and will apply to our internet providers that the latter will restrict accessibility to those websites,” detailing the regulations being designed by the bill on Making Addenda and Amendments to the law on Gambling Games, Internet Gambling Games and Casinos and the package of enclosed bills, Avag Avanesyan said.

The Executive sets with the next amendment a demand of carrying out audit, which complies with the demand of the audit presented to the banks. “With this we can record that the financial reports being presented to the public are reliable,” the Deputy Minister said.

According to the rapporteur, another regulation is connected with the international competitiveness. An opportunity will be given to the physical persons not being a citizen of the Republic of Armenia to place bets and to receive winnings in foreign currency.

Answering the MPs’ questions, the Deputy Minister noted that single operator will be set with a new legislative package elaborated jointly with the State Revenue Committee, who will control the deals in the digital sphere.

Touching upon the statistics on the volume of the bets placed in Internet gambling games, Avag Avanesyan noted that the bets have increased 1.75 times in 2023 compared to 2022.

The member of the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs David Arushanyan presented the endorsement of the Committee. “The gambling is not encouraged in our country, and this is one of those steps,” the deputy underscored, urging his colleagues to vote for the initiative.

In their speeches the deputies welcomed the proposing regulations, emphasized the implementation of their requirements.

The legislative package was debated in the first reading at the NA sitting on February 6.