On June 7, 2026, critical parliamentary elections concluded in Armenia. According to official data from the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party secured victory, garnering around 50% of the vote (49,8%), allowing it to form a new government single-handedly.
Why the election results are critical for iGaming
In countries with established institutional frameworks, gambling regulation depends on independent commissions. In Armenia, the fate of the gaming business is directly tied to the political will of a specific party.
Nikol Pashinyan and his Civil Contract faction have held power since 2018, and throughout this time, they have consistently tightened the screws on operators. The opposition (such as the Strong Armenia bloc, which finished second) has traditionally criticized the government for putting excessive pressure on large businesses and business associations.
The Civil Contract anti-gambling campaign was a key element of their populist, anti-poverty election platform. Now, Pashinyan has received a direct mandate from the public to execute his most radical plans.
The architect of this onslaught on gambling was Hayk Sargsyan, a Member of Parliament from the ruling faction. It was he who, in the summer of 2025, pushed through a reform that stripped operators of their windfall profits:
- A 10% tax on revenue (GGR / total handle) was introduced for all gambling activities.
- Licensing fees skyrocketed. Upon reaching specific turnover thresholds, operators are required to pay colossal fixed surcharges (approximately $890,000 for online casinos and $250,000 for online betting operators).
While the reform’s objective – to channel millions of extra euros into the state budget – was achieved, it was not enough for the authorities.
At the height of the election race, the National Assembly passed amendments to the Law “Оn Regulation of Gambling Activities” in its first reading. From the parliament floor, online casinos were openly labeled a “plague on the people.” As justification, Sargsyan cited statistics that were shocking for a small country like Armenia: over the last 8 years, the volume of bets grew more than 35-fold — from 0.2 trillion drams in 2017 to a record 7.4 trillion drams (around $19 billion) by 2025. Effectively, casino turnover surpassed the country’s official GDP.
The Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of the National Assembly of Armenia has already given a positive opinion on a new package of reforms presented by Babken Tunyan and Rafael Gevorgyan, Deputy Chairman of the State Revenue Committee. This document plugs loopholes for both licensed and illegal operators:
- Armenian internet service providers (ISPs) will be strictly required to block any unlicensed gambling websites following procedures to be separately approved by the government. Armenian commercial banks and other financial organisations would also have to stop transfers and payments to those platforms.
- All advertising for licensed casinos, online games, lotteries, and bookmakers must now obtain mandatory prior approval from the state regulator before publication.
- In land-based gaming halls, players would only be able to exchange gaming chips through non-cash transactions using bank accounts in their own name, although the draft provides an exception for foreign nationals.
- Operators of draw-based or combined lotteries would have to create and distribute a prize fund worth at least half of the total value of tickets entered into the draw, excluding tickets that are themselves awarded as prizes.
The 2027 Restriction Plan: What Awaits the Market
The government has approved radical social filters that will take effect on January 1, 2027, following the introduction of the gaming operator institution, which will likely be selected in mid-2006 and implemented as soon as possible:
Five-Year Total Self-Exclusion: Users will be able to ban themselves from all licensed platforms in the country with a single click for five years, with no right to early reinstatement.
Bans for Vulnerable Groups: Access to gaming will be entirely blocked for individuals whose primary source of income is a pension, for citizens in bankruptcy proceedings, and for participants in subsidy programs funded or co-financed by the state budget.
Financial Loss Cap: Maximum betting amounts will be capped: citizens will not be permitted to spend more than 20% of their officially declared annual income on gambling.
Ultimately, a Civil Contract victory would reinforce the government’s trajectory toward stricter gambling regulation. For licensed operators, this means a market that is increasingly costly, complex, and tightly controlled. Should the proposed measures be fully implemented, Armenia’s online gaming sector could rank among the most heavily regulated markets in the region by 2027.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our Telegram channel!
