Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is pushing forward sweeping gambling reforms aimed at halting capital flight to foreign betting operators and tackling the social harms associated with problem gambling.
During a Council of Ministers meeting held in Minsk, Lukashenko called for a ban on payments from Belarusian residents to foreign gambling companies, citing the need to protect national economic interests. “The money earned here must stay here and be invested in our economy,” he said, underscoring growing concerns over financial outflows and social consequences.
According to BelTA, the national news agency, the government is drafting a decree that will authorize banks to block gambling-related cross-border payments. The move is seen as a major step to protect Belarusian licensed operators while minimizing money laundering risks and unregulated gambling exposure.
The president also emphasized enhanced protective measures for at-risk individuals, including a proposal that would allow family members to request gambling blocks for relatives showing signs of addiction. “Maybe we should allow family members of gambling addicts to ban them from gambling,” Lukashenko stated.
Additional restrictions may include prohibiting gambling with borrowed funds, following reports that individuals have sold property or taken out loans to fund gambling activity—behaviors he described as “devastating not only for the individual but for society.”
Belarus officially legalized online gambling in April 2019, and the industry has seen substantial growth. However, Lukashenko described the sector as “thriving a little too well,” indicating that tighter regulation is now essential to strike a balance between revenue and social responsibility.
The upcoming decree is expected to reshape Belarus’s gambling framework significantly, with greater control over financial transactions, player behavior, and foreign operator influence.
