A new era of gambling framework has begun in Armenia, as the country’s government officially imposed a 10% turnover tax taking effect on 1 July 2025.
The new regime, which has drawn sharp criticism from domestic gambling enterprises, marks a fundamental shift in Armenia’s regulation and taxation of gambling. Approved by the National Assembly earlier this year, the legislation applies a 10% levy on the turnover of all gambling activities including casinos, online games, sports betting, lotteries, and totalisers.
The reform is the brainchild of MP Hayk Sargsyan of the ruling Civil Contract Party (CCP), who argued that the explosive growth of gambling warranted a more assertive fiscal framework.
In parallel with the turnover tax, Armenia began implementing higher licence fees from April 2025. Under the revised code, online casino operators now pay AMD 350 million (~$890,000) and betting firms AMD 100 million (~$253,000) once they cross defined turnover thresholds.
These fees are set to increase annually through a multiplier system, reaching five times the original amount by January 2028, unless the government completes the formation of a regulatory body known as the Gaming Sector Monitor and the Gaming Operator Institute.
The reform programme is aimed not only at boosting public finances – with projections of an additional AMD 13 billion (€32 million) annually – but also at addressing growing concerns over gambling-related social harms. In 2024, over AMD 811 billion (~$2 billion) was reportedly deposited into online casino accounts, prompting public debate over the sector’s role in fuelling addiction and financial distress.
Sargsyan has called for stricter controls, including possible gambling bans for civil servants and vulnerable groups. “Gambling has become a systemic issue in Armenia,” he said during the final parliamentary hearing in March. “These reforms are necessary not only for revenue, but for the moral and economic stability of our society.”
However, the measures have not gone unchallenged. The Ministry of Finance had initially resisted the tax increases, warning they could destabilise the market and incentivise grey market activity. Although some concessions were made – including a quota-based licensing system to help smaller operators – the core fiscal measures remained intact.
Domestic businesses note that while the tax code may deliver short-term fiscal gains, it risks pushing licensed operators out of the market and deterring investment. High upfront costs, paired with turnover-based taxation, may prove unsustainable for many operators.
The next key milestone in the government’s overhaul will be the establishment of the new regulatory authority for Armenian gambling tasked with enforcing compliance and overseeing operator conduct. Until then, operators face mounting fiscal pressures in a climate of regulatory uncertainty.
As of July 2025, Armenia joins a small but growing group of jurisdictions imposing turnover-based taxes on gambling a model increasingly scrutinised for its potential to distort pricing, limit margins, and reduce market competitiveness.
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