TITLE: Armenia's State Revenue Committee Adopts Legislative Changes on Online Gambling and Financial Account Information Exchange
BODY:
On July 3, 2026, Rafael Gevorgyan, deputy chair of Armenia's State Revenue Committee (ՀՀ ՊԵԿ), presented proposed amendments to the National Assembly regarding online gambling regulation and financial account information exchange. The amendments modify the Law on Regulation of Gambling Activities and related legislation, as well as the Tax Code of the Republic of Armenia.
The online gambling amendments aim to strengthen oversight of the online gambling sector and enhance the effectiveness of existing regulations. In recent years, the gaming services market has significantly shifted online, making unlicensed operators' services accessible to Armenian users despite operating outside Armenia's legal framework. While current regulations establish licensing, advertising restrictions, and oversight mechanisms, they lack sufficient enforcement tools in the online environment to restrict access to unlicensed websites, prevent their advertising, and monitor financial flows. The proposed changes introduce several measures to close regulatory gaps and improve state oversight effectiveness. These include improving mechanisms to block unlicensed websites, restricting their advertising, strengthening financial flow monitoring, limiting telecommunications operators' provision of access to such sites, and restricting licensed gaming operators from receiving or transferring funds through commercial banks and payment organisations. The amendments aim to protect the licensed gaming market, ensure fair competition, and enable more effective state oversight online.
The financial account information amendments modernise Armenia's automatic exchange of financial account information system to align with international standards and best practices established by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The amendments clarify key concepts and procedures, transfer oversight responsibility to the tax authority, establish penalties for providing false or incomplete information, and extend the reporting deadline from May 10 to June 30. These changes promote more effective implementation of the automatic exchange system, fulfil international obligations, and enhance tax administration efficiency.