Belarus proposes anti-money-laundering amendments in gambling law

Tax and Duties Ministry of Belarus has prepared a new draft legislation to amend the existing gambling law in the country. The draft has been submitted for public discussion and approval.

The document is mainly aimed at preventing the intentional or unintentional involvement of gambling operators in the activities of money laundering, terrorist financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Taking into account legalisation of online casinos in Belarus starting from April 2019, the draft resolution expands and clarifies the list of criteria for identifying suspicious financial transactions. These include depositing a financial transaction by a participant for three months or more in a gaming account without actual participation in gambling, as well as incompatibility of financial transactions with the sources and amounts of his income or the economic situation in the country.

The draft document also spells out internal control rules for the casino operators.