The Belarusian Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation (MART) has prepared a draft law that would introduce significant restrictions on gambling and lottery advertising.
The proposal would introduce a near-total ban on online gambling advertising, subject to a limited number of exceptions. The restrictions would also apply to gambling advertising placed on vehicles. In addition, gambling advertisements would face new content restrictions.
One proposed measure would prohibit the use of images of people and animals. The legislation would also prevent operators from promoting betting-related bonuses in advertising materials.
MART has prepared the proposal and is now submitting it to the relevant government bodies and departments for approval. The final scope of the restrictions could still change during the approval process before the draft legislation is adopted.
The regulatory framework in Belarus has recently been tightened with additional financial controls. Since 15 June, Belarusbank has been blocking all card transactions to foreign gambling operators.
The bank has also restricted domestic gambling transactions. Daily limits range from BYN 600 ($200) to BYN 3,000, depending on the type of debit card. All payments will be identified using gambling merchant category codes (MCC).
The blocking follows regulations that took effect on 11 March. Belarusian citizens are prohibited from transferring funds to foreign unlicensed operators, and banks are required to block such transactions. Gambling operators are also required to verify the identity of their players.
Operators must also verify that the payment cards, e-wallets and accounts used belong to the player. If ownership cannot be confirmed, any transfers of funds will be blocked.
The Ministry for Taxes and Levies warned that using another person’s cards, accounts or documents could result in financial penalties or criminal charges.
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
