Armenia Adds Payment Blocks to 2027 Gambling Crackdown
The State Revenue Committee said on September 7 that Armenia will revise its system for restricting access to online gambling and lottery sites run without a local licence. Under the new rules, telecom operators will take a direct role in blocking those sites, while advertising by unlicensed companies will also face restrictions. State Revenue Committee announcement
The payment provisions are set out separately in the July amendments to Armenia’s Law on Regulation of Gaming Activities.
Payment Controls Go Beyond Domain Blocking
The amended Article 8 prohibits Armenian-licensed payment service providers from processing payments to unlicensed gambling operators when transactions are identified through the gambling Merchant Category Code (MCC).
The law also covers commercial banks and payment organizations. They will have to restrict the receipt and transfer of funds used to organize gambling through blocked sites and all trademarks belonging to them, under procedures still to be set by the government.
That creates a second barrier for offshore operators. A blocked domain can be replaced. Payment restrictions tied to gambling transactions and associated brands are harder to solve with a simple change of web address.
Telecom providers will face their own compliance duty. Public electronic communications operators must block sites on the official list within government-set procedures and deadlines. The law provides for liability if they fail to comply.
Armenia Has Been Building a Broader Control System
The February rules are part of a wider effort to tighten oversight of online gambling.
During a parliamentary hearing in February, SRC Deputy Chairman Rafayel Gevorgyan said controlling illegal casinos online was difficult because of widespread internet access. He described the proposed approach as “three-layer protection.”
The same hearing also outlined a digital infrastructure that will connect regulated operators and give authorities broader visibility over activity in the licensed market.
The new Article 8 addresses the other side of that system: businesses serving Armenian users without a local licence.
What Changes Before February
The practical impact falls on two groups first: operators serving Armenian users and affiliates sending traffic into the market.
- Operators. Brands accepting Armenian traffic should review licensing status, local payment flows and the domains or trademarks used to reach players before February 8, 2027.
- Affiliates. AM campaigns promoting unlicensed brands carry a higher conversion risk once both site access and payment processing can be restricted. Offers aimed at Armenian users should be checked ahead of the deadline.
The main question now is implementation. Armenia still has to set detailed procedures for the blocking list and payment restrictions. For offshore operators, the payment layer may become the more important part of the reform: replacing a domain is relatively easy, while maintaining a usable deposit route after banks and payment firms enter the enforcement chain is a different problem.