The State Revenue Committee to Monitor All Types of Gambling

For the first time in Armenia, it will be possible to carry out real-time control over any sector of the gaming industry. This was stated by the Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia, Rustam Badasyan, during the regular meeting of the National Assembly’s Economic Affairs Committee while introducing the bill on amendments to the law on the regulation of gaming activities.

As previously reported, the Armenian government has adopted new restrictions on participating in gambling activities. According to these restrictions:

• Transparency will be ensured by online monitoring of the circulation of operators in the gaming sector.
• Rules for responsible gambling will be implemented.

The proposed amendments also differentiate the types of gambling, including lottery, online gambling, betting activities, and other games of chance, which include children's gaming machines often referred to as “khvataykanes.”

According to Badasyan, mandatory technical standards in accordance with international criteria will also be implemented, along with a regulatory body for the sector that will operate an electronic management system. He stated, “An inter-agency commission will be created, and a competition will be announced to select the operator, the specifics of which will be defined by both law and subordinate legislative acts. It is expected that the operator will sign contracts with game organizers, and based on those contracts, the game organizers will make payments to them.”

To prohibit foreign gambling operations within Armenia, the State Revenue Committee plans to block the IP addresses of these organizations within the country. In addition, the Central Bank of Armenia will be required to impose control over the accounts of foreign gaming sector organizers in commercial banks to block all transfers.

“There is currently no model that works 100 percent globally. We are trying to implement the best possible solutions,” Badasyan noted. He also mentioned that proposals have been received from the Ministry of Defense, the Investigative Committee, and other law enforcement bodies to limit participation in gambling activities for public servants. Badasyan indicated that comprehensive algorithmic solutions are being considered for this purpose.

Member of the National Assembly from the “Civil Contract” party, Hovik Agazaryan, while discussing gambling games for children, noted that they are inherently very dangerous. “We are preparing young gamblers. Have you seen the sparkle in your children's eyes when they are given 1000 drams, winning supposedly 200 drams?,” Agazaryan remarked.