Belarus Prepares Bill to Ban Online Gambling Ads and Public Transport Promotions
TL;DR — MART has drafted legislation banning online gambling advertising and public transport promotions, following a citizen complaint and a survey showing 86% public irritation. The bill builds on Decree No. 64 signed 20 February and the 2007 Advertising Law. Review is underway with no timeline released.
SCCG Take — Operators face narrowed marketing channels in a jurisdiction already tightening lottery access. Regulators elsewhere will watch whether the volume limits and content bans survive inter-agency review without creating enforcement gaps.
Belarus’s Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade has drafted a bill that would ban online advertising for gambling establishments, lotteries, and electronic interactive games, including virtual casinos. The proposal would also prohibit gambling advertising on public transport nationwide.
The measure follows President Alexander Lukashenko’s signing of Decree No. 64 on 20 February, which barred minors and restricted persons from electronic instant lotteries. It responds directly to a complaint filed by Belarusian citizen Igor Borisenok with the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Information, and MART over the volume of casino advertising visible in cities. Borisenok later shared MART’s reply on Facebook.
Core Elements of the Draft Bill
A survey conducted last year found nearly 86% of respondents cited gambling advertising as their chief irritation. The volume of online gambling ads rose after Google lifted its prohibition in January 2026; such promotions then required certification through the Ministry of Taxes and Duties.
Current rules under the Advertising Law adopted in 2007 already bar gambling ads in educational, healthcare, cultural, and sports institutions. Promotions may not portray gambling as a means to earn money, guarantee winnings, or include minors. Outdoor advertising needs local authority approval. The new bill would add bans on images of people and animals, prohibit references to betting bonuses, and set volume limits on television and radio advertising instead of full prohibitions. Public transport ads currently occupy a regulatory gap that MART seeks to close.
MART stated on 21 August that the draft had been sent to other government bodies for review. No timeline or list of possible exceptions to the online ban has been issued. As reported by Yogonet International, the ministry acknowledged Borisenok’s concerns and moved to prepare the amendments.
Regional Parallels and Current Status
A comparable effort to restrict gambling advertising on public transport has continued in London without concrete measures to date. The Belarus proposal stays within the existing 2007 statutory framework while tightening specific channels and content rules.
Reporting: Yogonet International
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Marketing squeeze in Belarus reflects rising political pressure to curb visibility, not just regulate product—pattern now spreading regionally.
We're tracking a second wave of ad bans targeting digital and transit channels simultaneously. Belarus follows Decree 64 with another layer of restriction, which tells us the regulatory mood is hardening faster than compliance infrastructure can adapt. Operators in adjacent markets should model the cost of losing both online reach and outdoor touchpoints at once.
- Bill adds online and public transport ad bans; builds on Decree No. 64 signed 20 February
- 86% public irritation drove citizen complaint; no timeline or exceptions yet published
- Volume caps on TV/radio, content bans on people, animals, bonuses—leaving narrow compliant paths
SCCG angle: SCCG helps clients model alternative acquisition strategies when advertising windows close. We connect operators to affiliate networks, influencer platforms, and retention tech partners across 545 relationships—so when a jurisdiction shuts traditional channels, you already have compliant alternatives live and revenue flowing.
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