TLDR
- Armenia’s parliament passed new online gambling laws on June 17, 2026
- Online casino bets grew from $542.6m in 2017 to $20bn in 2025 — a 35x increase
- Players can self-exclude for 5 years via a mandatory button on all platforms
- People on pensions, social assistance, or in bankruptcy are banned from participating
- Online gambling cannot exceed 20% of a player’s declared annual income
Armenia’s parliament has passed major changes to its online gambling laws. The amendments were approved in their final reading on June 17, 2026.
The new rules introduce some of the strictest controls the country has ever placed on online casinos. Lawmakers said the changes were needed because of how fast the industry had grown.
MP Hayk Sargsyan, who introduced the bill, laid out the numbers. Online casino bets in Armenia jumped from AMD200 billion (US$542.6 million) in 2017 to AMD7.4 trillion (US$20 billion) in 2025. That is a more than 35-fold increase in eight years.
Mandatory Self-Exclusion Across All Platforms
Every licensed operator must now place a visible self-blocking button on their websites and mobile apps. If a player activates it, they are locked out of all online casino services for five years.
There is no early exit from the block. The exclusion automatically renews for another five years unless the player formally requests removal at least five days before the first term ends.
The system applies across all platforms. Once an operator is notified of an exclusion, they must enforce it.
Who Is Banned From Playing
The new law targets groups considered financially vulnerable. People receiving social assistance are banned from online gambling. So are those who rely mainly on pensions, individuals going through bankruptcy, and anyone in state-funded programs.
A personal income cap has also been introduced. Players cannot spend more than 20% of their declared annual income on online gambling.
These measures are designed to limit financial harm for people who may be least able to absorb losses.
The law also aims to address addiction concerns that have grown alongside the industry’s rapid expansion over the past decade.
Authorities plan to roll out the new framework on January 1, 2027. Before that, a national gaming operator must be appointed, a process expected to finish before the end of 2026.
The legislation puts Armenia among the countries in the region with the most detailed rules around online casino participation.
No details have been released yet on how compliance will be monitored or what penalties operators face for breaking the rules.
The law will cover all licensed online casino operators active in the country once it takes effect.
