Belarus to legalise online gambling

The Belarusian Tax and Duties Ministry will legalise online gambling institutions from April 2019.  Vladimir Mukvich, Deputy Tax and Duties Minister of country, told the media about Decree No. 305, which deals with “the legal regulations of gambling business.” However, he does not foresee a huge growth in online casinos in the country in the immediate future.

He said the basic norms of the decree come into force from 1 April 2019. He added: “We cannot say that there will be a large number of them in 2019–2020. We do not see any preconditions for such a trend.“

As a regulator, the Tax and Duties Ministry is interested in preventing online gambling to become a monopoly activity and expects applicants to be able to fulfil the requirements for organising online casinos. For example, betting offices that accept bets online will need a new license (rules do not change for those who work with fixed cash registers).

A transitional period for such offices will be provided through to 1 April 2021. The decree envisages strict requirements for online gamblers taking into account the specific nature of the activity. One such requirement is the development of a so-called pledge fund, which, in the event of financial insolvency, will secure settlements with players and the budget. Such practices are world experience, said Vladimir Mukvich. The size of the fund has not yet been determined, but the decision on it will be made before the decree comes into force.

The protection of the personal data of online casino players is another area of utmost importance. Therefore, the law will envisage the certification of security systems, which can also cost a lot. “This will be done not for minimizing the number of such facilities but providing maximum protection to players,” the deputy minister explained.

Source:  eng.belta.by.