First reading of Armenian parliament unanimously voted to toughen  law "On games with winnings"

ArmInfo.On June 3, the Armenian parliament unanimously voted in favor of the bill providing for toughening of the law "On games with winnings" in the first reading.  Thus, 109 MPs voted in favor of tightening the conditions for  organizing lotteries and gambling, operating slot machines and  sweepstakes, and there were no abstentions against.

To recall back in November 2018, MP Naira Zohrabyan ("Prosperous   Armenia" faction), NA Vice-Speaker Alen Simonyan and MP Sipan   Pashinyan ("My Step" Faction) in the framework of the fight against   gambling, they launched a legislative initiative aimed at tightening   the conditions for organizing lotteries. 

According to Alen Simonyan,  the concepts of "playing hall" and  "bookmaker office" are streamlined  by the bill. The document  provides, in particular, to block the sites  of gambling organizers  in public places, as well as to limit payment  in cash. It is planned  after the document comes into force within six  months to completely  withdraw all slot machines from Yerevan, and  within a year all  bookmakers. 

It is completely prohibited to betting  shop, whose activity will be  allowed in four tourist zones - Meghri,  Sevan, Jermuk and  Tsakhkadzor. Advertising of gambling by foreign companies is also  prohibited. Providers will have the right to  disable certain  gambling on the Internet. Introduced and restrictions  on advertising  of gambling, games with winnings and casinos. Eligible  for  participation in these games are persons over the age of 21.    Organizers of games with winnings undertake to require identity   documents from this category of persons.  In addition, relatives and   friends of people suffering from ludomania, will be entitled through   court to seek a ban on their participation in gambling.  To protect   the interests of the participants in the games, a state duty is set   at 500 million drams. For violation of the provisions of the law,   there are large penalties, up to the revocation of the license and   the suspension of the activities of the games with a win.

Meanwhile, the other day at a meeting of the permanent parliamentary   commission on economic issues, Chairman Babken Tunyan stated that the   law would be relaxed - in each metropolitan administrative region and   in regional centers they would leave one office from each bookmaker   office. After a year, the points will gradually begin to close -  first in the regional centers, then in Yerevan. According to Tunyan,   about 85% of game bets in Armenia are made online, the remaining 15%   through betting shops. Moreover, the dynamics of online betting is   gradually increasing. According to MP from the block "My step" Hayk   Sargsyan, if in 2010 the turnover of all the betting companies taken  together was 14 billion drams, then in 2018 this number reached 306   billion drams, that is, it grew by 23 times. According to him, out of   these 306 billion drams, only 4 billion drams go to the budget, that   is, 1.4% of the turnover.

Earlier Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan repeatedly pointed out   the need to change the structure of the country's economy, in which   one of the important places belongs to the gaming business. According   to him, the new government of Armenia did not manage to maintain the   previous high rates of economic activity, since it was compiled on   the basis of bets placed on sweepstakes. As a result, as he noted,   many live owing to numerous bookmakers.