Belarus’ Ministry of Taxes and Duties has announced that
Presidential Decree No. 226 “On Activities in the Gambling Business” will come into force on
11 March, introducing sweeping changes to the country’s gambling framework.
Under the decree, Belarusian banks will be required to block all payments to foreign iGaming operators, effectively cutting off cross-border gambling transactions for local players.
Stricter rules for licensed operators
The new regulation also imposes enhanced compliance requirements on locally licensed gambling operators, including:
- Mandatory player verification
- Active monitoring and blocking of multi-accounts
To open a gambling account, players will now be required to:
- undergo video verification, or
- personally visit a land-based venue operated by the licensee
Criminal liability for players
The decree significantly raises the stakes for players as well. It introduces criminal liability for:
- using third-party payment instruments
- sharing account access credentials
In such cases, authorities may not only pursue criminal charges but also
confiscate funds in favour of the state.
