Armenia to tighten blocking rules for unlicensed online gambling and lottery sites from 8 February 2027

Armenia is preparing a sharper enforcement toolset for unlicensed online gambling and lottery sites, with new rules due to take effect on 8 February 2027. For PSPs, acquirers, and operators serving high-risk verticals, the practical point is simple: the state is moving from general administrative oversight toward more explicit technical blocking and tighter ad restrictions.

1. The State Revenue Committee (SRC) says the revised framework is meant to improve the blocking of websites operated without the licences required under Armenian law. The current system already allows blocking of foreign gambling sites that lack the relevant Armenian licence, with public electronic communications network operators responsible for carrying it out based on an approved list of websites.
2. The new rules are designed to make that blocking system more effective in practice. Instead of relying only on conventional administrative measures, Armenia is putting more weight on technical restrictions implemented through telecommunications operators.
3. The SRC also says the framework will address advertising linked to unauthorised gambling websites. That matters because Armenia’s gambling rules do not only deal with access to sites; they also prohibit creating opportunities to participate in certain foreign gambling activities without the required licence and restrict advertising for those activities.
4. In practice, the government is trying to cut off two routes at once: direct access to unlicensed platforms and the promotional channels that help those platforms find users in the Armenian digital market. The latest measures are aimed at unlicensed activity, and the SRC has said they are not intended to restrict gambling businesses operating within Armenia’s legal framework.

For high-risk businesses and their payment providers, the detail that matters is the enforcement model. Armenia is not just restating the rulebook; it is tightening how access and promotion of unlicensed gambling services are handled through telecom operators and website blocking processes.