VIDEO: SRS Improves Tools for Gaming Sector Oversight

The State Revenue Committee (SRS) is enhancing the tools for monitoring the activities of casinos and online game organizers. According to the strategic plan for the development and administration of the SRS, a roadmap for the digitization of the gaming sector is being developed in collaboration with international experts to meet international standards.

All gaming equipment and interactive platforms of organizers operating in Armenia will be integrated into a single server on a local network and will connect to a monitoring center. All bets placed and winnings received will be registered in real-time on this server.

The relevant division of the State Revenue Committee will identify all risks associated with both online games and land-based casino operators. "To increase the efficiency of oversight regarding live games and to obtain complete information regarding the monetary turnover of live game tables, we plan to implement a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip system in casinos. This will allow the monitoring of the gaming process in real time, specifically the movement of chips within the casino premises, the purchase of game tokens by players, and the process of disbursing winnings," said Gohar Zakaryan, head of the SRS division for ensuring oversight of gaming, casinos, and lotteries.

Before the idea of a monitoring center, approved at the government’s Digitalization Council meeting, can become a reality, it must receive legislative formalization. A legislative package is being developed to define mandatory requirements for gaming equipment and software, along with changes to legal acts. Gohar Zakaryan assures that the result will enable oversight of the financial flows in the sector and assess the actual turnover of transactions: "With the implementation of electronic management systems, the oversight of the activities of game organizers will also help eliminate instances of money laundering and the use of equipment or software that does not comply with legal requirements."

To ensure the protection of players' rights and the transparency of the sector, the envisaged regulations are regularly discussed with sector operators by the committee.