Age Verification Required for Entry into Gaming Venues

The Minister of Finance of the Republic of Armenia, Atom Janjughazyan, presented a draft amendment to the Law on Lotteries during the government meeting on February 28. He noted that the expectation is for the allure of gambling to become more difficult to resist.

The draft stipulates that individuals will only be allowed to enter and participate in games after their age has been verified. Furthermore, if there are court decisions in place due to problematic gambling behaviors, those individuals will also be restricted from accessing gaming venues. Janjughazyan mentioned that there is also a relaxation of regulations, allowing operators in the gaming sector to organize ancillary services such as internet services, programming for online gambling games, and providing service for those operations, ensuring comfort in employee and ticket sales locations by organizing public catering services.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan inquired whether a situation could arise where foreign organizers of online gambling would have an advantage.

"Have we balanced that issue, or is there no such problem?" he asked.

Janjughazyan responded that this issue is indeed posed to organizers, but solutions for limiting access to participants benefiting from such games are not yet resolved.

"There is no successful experience in the world that allows for the restriction of access for participants. However, from an organizational perspective, there is a provision that prohibits creating opportunities for participating in lotteries organized in foreign states; this is prohibited for organizers," he stated.

The minister also announced that under this draft, individuals operating public significance facilities (such as cafes, bars, restaurants, hotels, internet clubs, gas stations, retail outlets, entertainment and public service venues) are required to block access to the official websites of individuals that have obtained licenses for organizing internet gambling within Armenia.

The draft has been accepted.