Armenia is preparing a tougher enforcement regime against unlicensed online gambling, with telecommunications operators set to play a direct role in restricting access to offshore betting and lottery websites.
The new rules will take effect on February 8, 2027, following amendments to Armenia’s Law on Regulation of Gaming Activities and related legislation. The State Revenue Committee (SRC) said the changes will strengthen the technical mechanisms used to block gambling websites operated by companies without an Armenian licence.
Under the revised framework, telecom providers will be required to restrict access to identified unlicensed platforms. Authorities also intend to limit the distribution of advertising connected to offshore operators that are not authorised to serve Armenian customers.
The SRC said the measures are a response to the growing visibility and accessibility of foreign gambling services in Armenia’s digital market. Existing enforcement tools have struggled to address companies operating outside Armenian jurisdiction, particularly as online gambling and digital advertising have expanded.
Officials stressed that the changes are not aimed at restricting licensed gambling companies. Instead, the government says the objective is to protect the regulated market, strengthen the effectiveness of the licensing system and reduce advantages available to operators that avoid Armenian regulatory requirements.
The blocking measures form part of a wider restructuring of gambling supervision in Armenia that began with legislation adopted in 2024.
A central element of those reforms is the introduction of a digital monitoring system linking licensed gambling businesses to a single regulatory infrastructure. The system is designed to give authorities greater oversight of activity across both online and land-based gambling operations, including transactional and betting data.
In August, Armenia selected Malta-registered Random Systems International Limited to operate the new regulatory platform following a tender involving three foreign bidders. Acting SRC Chairman Eduard Hakobyan said the company has experience carrying out a comparable gambling oversight role in neighbouring Georgia.
Random Systems International is required to implement the electronic management system within six months of the government decision, putting its planned rollout in early 2027. The wider system is expected to become one of the main digital tools used by Armenian authorities to supervise licensed operators.
The telecom blocking initiative follows another enforcement measure introduced earlier in 2026 targeting payments connected to illegal gambling. Together, the payment restrictions, centralised monitoring system and website-access controls indicate that Armenia is moving toward a more technology-driven regulatory model aimed at separating licensed operators from offshore competitors.