New regulations for the gambling industry have officially taken effect in Belarus, with new requirements surrounding player verification having been introduced to help tackle the nation's unregulated market.
Indeed, Belarusian citizens are now prohibited from transferring funds to foreign unlicensed operators and banks are required to block such transactions. Gambling operators are required to verify the identity of their players.
For online accounts, players must complete a virtual registration that includes video verification or visit a physical location operated by the same gambling operator. In land-based gambling venues, identity verification occurs twice, first at the entrance and again at the cashier when depositing funds.
Operators must also verify that the payment cards, e-wallets, and accounts used belong to the player. If the ownership cannot be confirmed, any transfers of funds will be blocked.
Ministry for Taxes and Levies warned that using another person’s cards, accounts, or documents might result in financial penalties or criminal charges. Players are permitted to have only one account per online gambling operator. Any duplicate accounts will be blocked.
The regulations also set stricter video surveillance requirements for land-based operators. The recordings must be stored for at least 60 days, maintained at high resolution and remain accurate within 3 minutes of real time. Non-compliance could result in license revocation.
By July 1, 2027, online gambling operators must submit testing protocols for any system updates to the Monitoring Centre for the Gambling Industry. These measures aim to enhance player safety, ensure compliance and promote responsible gambling across both online and land-based venues in Belarus.
In February, the Belarusian President signed a law prohibiting anyone under 18 from participating in electronic instant lotteries, addressing concerns that minors could access the online lottery Belbet
