Armenia proposes tougher online gambling rules

PanARMENIAN.Net - Deputy Chairman of Armenia's State Revenue Committee, Rafael Gevorgyan, presented to the National Assembly a package of amendments to the Law on Gambling Regulation, related legislation and the Tax Code.

According to 1lurer.am, the proposals introduce new regulations for the online gambling sector.

The amendments are designed to strengthen state oversight and improve the effectiveness of existing rules. As gambling services have increasingly shifted online in recent years, Armenian users have gained access to platforms operated by unlicensed providers outside the country's legal framework. Although current legislation includes licensing, advertising restrictions and supervisory mechanisms, these measures have proven insufficient in the online environment, particularly in blocking unauthorized websites, restricting their promotion and monitoring related financial flows.

The draft legislation also seeks to close existing regulatory gaps by improving the mechanism for blocking unlicensed websites, limiting their advertising, strengthening oversight of financial transactions, requiring telecommunications operators to restrict access to such platforms, and limiting money transfers related to gambling through commercial banks and payment service providers.

The proposed changes aim to protect the licensed gambling market, ensure fair competition and enhance state supervision of online gambling activities.

The legislative package also introduces amendments governing the automatic exchange of financial account information.

Changes to the Tax Code are intended to improve the automatic exchange system and bring it into line with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) standards and international best practices.

The amendments clarify the key concepts and procedures used in the automatic exchange process. Oversight of financial institutions' compliance with the reporting standard will now be carried out by the tax authority, as the collection and exchange of information are intended exclusively for tax purposes.

The proposal also introduces liability for individuals who provide false, incomplete or inaccurate information to financial institutions or fail to submit data required by law.

In addition, the deadline for reporting institutions to submit information to the tax authority would be extended from May 10 to June 30.

The amendments also clarify requirements for maintaining and recording documents and data related to financial accounts.

According to the authors, the adopted changes will improve the consistency and effectiveness of the automatic exchange system, ensure compliance with Armenia's international obligations and strengthen tax administration.