Armenia Proposes Banning Gambling for Socially Vulnerable Groups
YEREVAN, June 10. /ARKA/. A proposed Armenian draft law indicates that citizens receiving aid from state support programs are prohibited from engaging in any form of gambling, including online gambling.
The prohibition applies to individuals who receive various government benefits, live in state-funded social housing, are undergoing bankruptcy proceedings, have been declared bankrupt, or have outstanding debts to the state budget, to those registered with the National Center for the Treatment of Addiction and to those with consumer loans that exceed 40% of their annual income.
Additionally, it includes individuals who have reached retirement age and rely solely on their pension for income, as well as those who have voluntarily requested a ban on their gambling activities.
The proposed legislation also specifies that the amount a citizen can gamble should not surpass 20% of their reported annual income.
A self-exclusion mechanism is available for citizens: by submitting a request to the relevant authority, an individual can prohibit themselves from gambling and online gaming for a duration of five years, with automatic renewal unless a request to lift the ban is made within the last five days of the term.
Online gambling operators will be mandated to provide a prominently displayed self-exclusion option on their websites and to report such requests to the relevant authority.
The relevant authority will be tasked with verifying the citizen's status regarding any restrictions and creating a system to identify game participants. These restrictions will not apply to non-citizens of Armenia.
It is anticipated that restrictions could be enforced if a player frequently alters their IP address, should this be considered risky behavior based on criteria set by the government.
The legislation specifies that the changes will take effect 10 days following official publication, and the required bylaws must be enacted within one month.
The National Assembly of Armenia has already voted to approve the bill in its initial reading. Hayk Sargsyan, a member of the ruling Civil Contract faction and the bill's author, revealed that several amendments were introduced between the first and second readings.
"Individuals over 70 years of age are now banned from participating in high-risk games of chance; previously, this restriction applied to those under 21. Participation in such games is also prohibited for individuals involved in public activities and holding specific positions," Sargsyan remarked.
He further mentioned that the "self-blocking" button for game participation must be prominently displayed on all pages and occupy 5% of the page.
"Once self-blocking is activated, it should take effect within a minute. Online casinos are prohibited from requesting additional documents, providing bonuses, or delaying the process," Sargsyan added.-0-
He emphasized that after self-blocking, players will not be able to place new bets, but they will still have the option to withdraw any previously won amounts. The bill is set to be discussed at the next meeting of the National Assembly.-0-
