New Armenian gambling restrictions planned

The Armenian Finance Ministry has secured Cabinet approval for a further tightening of regulations on all types of gambling in the form of a requirement that from June 1 operators must notify government of all wagers (including online) over the local equivalent of US$2,100.

The reports, which include the amount wagered and identity details of the punter, are to be included in a government database, according to local media reports, which note that the government’s motivation is to combat money laundering.

The volume of data reported could be considerable, given the wide range of land and online gambling that is available to Armenian punters. The Eastern European nation already has strict laws confining land gambling to specific areas, and online gambling advertising is permitted only in hotels and established gambling premises.

Government officials claim that the heavily taxed overall gambling market is worth around the equivalent of US$223 million in revenues.