At Some Point, We Will Tax Players' Winnings and Organizers' Profit, Says Deputy Minister

The Government of Armenia plans to tax the profits of lottery organizers and players. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Arman Poghosyan, in response to a question from the pro-government faction member Sisak Gabrielyan during a session in the National Assembly.

The lawmaker inquired whether it would be appropriate to discuss the option of taxing winnings. “If a person plays regularly and wins, it has become a source of income for them; it should be taxed just like all other citizens pay taxes,” said Sisak Gabrielyan.

The deputy minister agreed with the lawmaker.
“Ultimately, I believe that we will eventually come to taxing results, and not only the winnings received by players but also the profits generated by organizers. The tax object, which is proposed to tax organizers according to internationally accepted practices, is called GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue). This means the positive difference between total benefits and payments, considered profit in the classical sense, in addition to existing corporate taxes. At some point, I believe we will reach that solution,” Poghosyan said. He added that systems are needed for the effective implementation of that solution.