Five-year ban in one click: Armenia introduces strict rules for gamblers

The Parliament of Armenia has approved amendments to the law "On Regulation of Gambling Activity". Starting January 1, 2027, a strict self-exclusion system will come into effect in the country, which will effectively cut impulsive players out of the market for years to come. Furthermore, certain categories of citizens will face a total ban on accessing gambling.

The "Self-Exclusion" Button

The authorities are creating a unified state monitoring operator that will connect all legal gambling platforms and databases into a single network. A self-exclusion button will appear on every website and in every app — it must be placed in the most prominent position. 

If a player clicks this button after a losing streak, they will automatically be entered into the national registry. Their passport data will be blocked across all legal platforms in the country without exception. The ban duration is 5 years. It is impossible to shorten or cancel it. 

The procedure for lifting the ban is equally strict. To restore access, a player must submit an official request exactly 5 days before the ban expires. If they are late or forget, the system automatically extends the restriction for another 5 years. 

Who will be completely barred from access

In addition to self-exclusion, a social filter is being introduced. The monitoring center will cross-reference registering users with social protection databases and bank registries in real time. Access to legal platforms will be closed for four categories of citizens: 

• Recipients of social benefits and any government assistance;

• Citizens in the process of bankruptcy or declared insolvent;

• Pensioners, if their pension is their sole source of income;

• Borrowers whose monthly loan payments exceed 40% of their verified income.   

For everyone else, a limit is being introduced: the total amount of bets over 12 months must not exceed 20% of their officially declared annual income. 

What this means for traffic arbitrage

For media buyers who drive traffic to Armenia, the new rules threaten a serious drop in LTV. Players who make emotional decisions will cut themselves out of databases en masse via the self-exclusion button. This destroys redeposit funnels — the primary source of profit in gambling. 

Maintaining the same ROI under strict compliance, turnover taxes, and the regular dropout of solvent players will become too expensive. Those working with this GEO should start looking for alternatives right now.