TLDR
- President Alexander Lukashenko ordered a new review of gambling advertising in Belarus.
- He said even his own family complains about how many gambling ads they see.
- Officials told him the industry is already regulated, but he disagreed.
- He named betting company Fonbet as an example of the problem.
- The order comes weeks after officials drafted a law to ban most online gambling ads.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has ordered a new review of the country’s gambling advertising rules. He gave the instruction during a meeting in Minsk this week.
Lukashenko said many people in Belarus are frustrated by how often gambling ads appear. He said his own family has complained about it too.
“Ads of ‘Spinning the Goose’ are everywhere,” he said. He added that his family gives him a hard time about it every day.
Lukashenko told his chief of staff, Dmitry Krutoi, to look closely at the issue. He said the government needs a clear plan going forward.
He also admitted he is confused by the number of gambling businesses now operating in the country. “We have an online casino, casinos in general, and so on. I have got confused about all these definitions,” he said.
Officials say the industry is already regulated
Government officials told Lukashenko that gambling businesses in Belarus already follow existing rules. He pushed back on that claim during the meeting.
“It’s been regulated, but our country has turned into a casino,” he said.
He named betting company Fonbet as an example of a business that has become too visible. He said its presence in the country has grown too large.
Lukashenko also spoke with Vasily Gerasimov of the State Control Committee about reports of gambling losses reaching $500 million. He said the figure was likely exaggerated.
Still, he said the scale of money moving through the industry needs closer attention. He asked regulators to make a clear decision soon.
“There is no need to get allured by this money everywhere,” he said.
Belarus is already drafting new ad restrictions
The order comes weeks after Belarus began drafting new rules for gambling ads. Last month, the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade proposed a ban on most online advertising for casinos, betting, and interactive games.
The draft law covers digital platforms, transport spaces, and the content used inside ads. Under the proposal, gambling companies would not be allowed to show people or animals in their advertising.
They also would not be allowed to promote bonuses meant to encourage more betting.
The draft follows Presidential Decree No. 226. That decree required banks to block payments to foreign online casinos and pushed activity toward licensed operators inside Belarus.
The latest order comes only months after Google updated its policy to allow ads from licensed Belarusian operators. That change had opened a new digital path for gambling companies to reach customers.
The draft law now under review moves in the opposite direction. It would narrow the ways gambling businesses can advertise and add limits on when their ads can run on television and radio.
