Armenia Increases Online Gambling Fees and Plans New Regulator

Armenia has confirmed an increase in fees for online gambling operators, with a new regulatory body set to oversee the sector.

The National Assembly approved the changes, which will see duties for licensees double from April 1. These increases will continue annually until the creation of a new gambling authority to regulate the industry.

The bill, introduced by Hayk Sargsyan, an MP from the pro-government Civil Contract Party, was initially dismissed but was revived by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan last month. The government’s goal is to raise AMD 13bn (€32m) in state revenue and reduce the incentives for gambling, driven by concerns about addiction.

Despite concerns raised by the Ministry of Finance that the fee hikes could push players towards unlicensed operators, Sargsyan defended the changes, noting the significant growth in Armenia’s online gambling sector. "The turnover in the online casino sector increased from 14bn drams in 2010 to 6.3 trillion drams (around €15.3bn) in 2023.

Meanwhile, taxes and duties paid by the sector grew from 1bn drams to just 33bn," he said.

The bill underwent some revisions during its final hearing on March 6. A proposed 10 percent turnover tax for online casino gaming was removed, and a new requirement was added for the government to establish a dedicated regulatory authority and a gaming operator institute.

Under the new rules, online casino operators that accept bets of up to AMD 100bn (€233m) and online betting operators accepting bets of up to AMD 50bn (€117m) will now pay a fee of AMD 350m and AMD 100m, respectively—double the previous duties of AMD 175m and 50m. "The duties for online casino and bookmaking activities will be doubled with these legislative changes. We will have an annual extra 13 billion drams in state duties," Sargsyan explained.

Looking ahead, the fee will rise even further, with a multiplier of 3 applied from January 2026, 4 from January 2027, and 5 from January 2028.

In addition to these changes, last year the Armenian parliament approved amendments to gambling legislation that adjusted taxes on customer winnings. Large wins, defined as any win exceeding 5 million Armenian drams (€11,000), are now subject to a 5 percent income tax, reduced from the previous 10 percent. Regular wins under 5 million drams are taxed at 10 percent. The amendments aim to simplify the taxation process, particularly for smaller winnings. 

By fLEXI tEAM