Proposal to Limit Access to Online Casinos by MP

In the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Economic Issues, MP Hayk Sargsyan from the Civil Contract faction has presented a draft amendment to the laws on "Regulating Gambling Activities," "Gambling, Internet Gambling, and Casinos," and "Lotteries." According to the data provided by the MP, the volume of bets placed in online casinos has increased more than 35 times over the past eight years. In 2017, this figure was 0.2 trillion drams, while by 2025, it is projected to reach 7.4 trillion drams.

Sargsyan noted that the sector has become a social plague, as hundreds of thousands of citizens are unable to overcome their addiction due to 24-hour accessibility, leading to wastage of their resources. According to the MP, people are spending their salaries, pensions, and benefits, while hoping to recover their losses by accruing loans and debts. This has resulted in thefts, crimes, divorces, and suicides.

The proposed solutions include six main points: mandatory presence of a "self-restriction button" on online casino websites, allowing individuals to ban their participation in games for five years; a ban for beneficiaries of social assistance; restrictions for individuals whose only income is their pension; a ban for citizens undergoing bankruptcy proceedings; restrictions for participants in state budget programs; and setting a maximum threshold for gambling participation at up to 20% of declared annual income.