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It is proposed to regulate the relations connected with the entry of the sums to the game accounts. It is set that in case of internet gambling games the special game account can be replenished exclusively through banking accounts (including card) belonging to the given player. It is banned to enter monetary means to the accounts of totalizer’s participants and cash out. The mentioned accounts acre replenished, and the sum from the accounts is cashed out only in cashless way. The account of the totalizer’s can be replenished exclusively through banking accounts (including card) belonging to the given player.

The draft laws on Making Addendum to the Law on Gambling Games, Internet Gambling Games and Casinos and on Making Addendum to the law on Lotteries authored by the NA deputies Gevorg Papoyan and Hasmik Hakobyan were debated at the sitting of the Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs on October 16.

According to the key rapporteur, the Committee Chair Gevorg Papoyan, after the first reading the issue was debated with the Government, the Central Bank (CB) and the organizers of the gambling. Accordingly, new proposals were presented, which were included in the legislative package.

As a result, legislative package was revised.

According to Gevorg Papoyan, it is proposed to write down the D paragraph of Article 1 with new edition. It was noted that the authorized body and the CB should jointly revise the order of checking.

The second amendment was also included in the provision of the lottery participant with almost in the same way.

The third amendment is that the law will enter into force from April 1, 2024, which will give opportunity to the business to be equipped and do organizational works.

The Committee members welcomed the adoption of the legislative initiative, at the same time expressed concern about the increase of the players’ number.

The Committee Chair documented that the rate of making bets has abruptly fallen down. According to him, if before the increase was with geometric progression, then became with arithmetical progression, now – increase is registered with symbolic interests.

As he assured, we are approaching to the phase of zero growth. “I believe that draft laws adopted before worked,” the MP said.

“We propose amendment that the citizens can pay for the gaming account only from the banking, card accounts belong to them. This is a fundamental amendment,” the Chair of the of the Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs said.

It was noted that the purpose is not that people certainly will play cashless, but will know who plays, and we’ll specify by that also the policy of the state in this or that sphere.

“The banks based on these data will look and see that if the given person is a gambler, then will not give credit. Let me give an example, if I play, then try to take credit, most probably, I will be deprived of possibility. If it turns out that I receive 400.000 AMD, but I play for 4 million AMD, this is already a problem,” Gevorg Papoyan noted.

According to him, the existing problems are not solved in one day, by one law, during a certain long period we can only find comprehensive solutions.

It was noted that also the foreign online games and bookmaker offices, which receive interest rates from Armenia, should be licensed in conditions, as the local companies do.

The co-rapporteur, the RA Deputy Minister of Finance Avag Avanesyan mentioned: n terms of statistics the tendency slows down,” the Deputy Minister said.

Avag Avanesyan added: “We can at least document that the sphere of the gambling games compared with other services is not one of the quickest increasing spheres. However, the sphere is not the latest at the level of increase. The financial and insurance activity sphere has increased slower than the sphere of the gambling games.”

According to him, in the economic speedy increase it will be a little strange that this being part of amusement sector, would not increase. Moreover, the international trend continues increasing in average 10%, now – the increase is 10% - 15%.

As the Deputy Minister assured, the policy of the Ministry of Finance is to try keeping the sphere transparent, within the frameworks of legislative rules, decrease its social damages, but not ban at all.

The Head of the RA CB Legal Department Armen Aloyan presented an oral proposal, which will become a matter of debate.

As a result of debate, the Committee members endorsed the revised legislative initiative.