Aleksandr Lukashenko, President of Belarus, has hinted at the possibility of legal changes to prevent gambling revenue from exiting the country, stating that these funds should be invested locally.

The politician, who has been Belarus’ only president since the position was created in 1994 three years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, made these comments at a meeting of the Council of Ministers, according to the state Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA).

Lukashenko seems to have become concerned about the social impact of gambling in Belarus, stating that the government needs to ensure that ‘children and incapacitated individuals’ are not able to access online sportsbooks and casinos.

He also cited cases of Belarusians taking out loans and selling property to support gambling habits, leading to these individuals getting into debt. This may lead to the Belarus government making further adjustments to gambling legislation and further ironing out its national framework.

“This industry is in the pink, figuratively speaking,” Lukashenko said. “We have experience in dealing with the gambling business and we should use it to finalise all the rules.”

Belarus has a fairly open gambling market, with the retail sector well established. The capital of Minsk is home to most casinos and betting shops, but many venues also conduct business in cities like Brest, Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev.

The country allows companies to operate betting shops, casinos, slot machines and raffles, as long as the firms have a licence, a local registered office address and a Belarus-based management team.

Putting retail aside, it is the online industry that seems to concern Lukashenko the most. Belarus legalised online gaming in 2019, and the country is now home to various licensed betting sites like BetCity.by.

The picture around online betting is not entirely clear, however. The country is targeted by overseas licensed firms and like other Eastern Europe nations, and particularly neighbouring Russia. Telegram betting is also popular.

Further complicating things, in the aftermath of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus played a role in supporting, many international operators decided to shut up shop in both countries, and some still have to deny that they are active in either when the issue is occasionally re-raised.

Lukashenko seems to be hinting that Belarus’ betting framework will be further tweaked specifically to address revenue made by overseas companies active in Belarus. BelTA indicates that the President has told the Council of Ministers to write up a draft decree on this.

Potential measures could include a ban on bank transactions from Belarussian customers to overseas gaming businesses, and allowing individuals such as family members to set up gambling blocks on behalf of relatives dealing with gambling addictions.

“Maybe we should allow family members of gambling addicts to ban them from gambling,” Lukashenko said. “After all, the money from lost apartments and cars goes to foreign gambling companies, therefore this is a matter of principle.

“I would like to know how this issue is to be resolved. To begin with, banks should be banned from transferring gambling-related money outside the country. The money earned here should be invested in the country. This applies to all areas of work. Please report how these sensitive issues are handled in the draft decree.”

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