Belarus is preparing a sweeping crackdown on gambling advertising, with a draft law that would eliminate most online promotion of casinos, betting, and gambling products.
The proposal has been put forward by Belarus’ Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade and is currently awaiting formal government approval before it can become law.
The draft law covers a wide range of gambling categories, including lotteries, interactive electronic games, promotional games, and virtual gambling establishments, with only limited exceptions permitted.
Alongside the internet advertising restrictions, the draft law also prohibits gambling and lottery advertising on means of transportation, broadening the scope of the proposed ban significantly.
Advertisers would also face new creative restrictions, with the use of images of people and animals in gambling advertisements explicitly prohibited under the proposed rules.
The draft law further states that advertisements must not contain information about bonuses that can be used to place bets, a rule that would fundamentally change how operators communicate with potential customers.
Television and radio are not spared either, with the government proposing additional time-based restrictions on when gambling and lottery advertising can be broadcast across those channels.
The proposal forms part of a broader tightening of gambling controls in Belarus, which has been gathering pace since new rules under Presidential Decree No. 226 came into force on March 11, 2026.
Belarusian banks have also been required to block payments by citizens to foreign online casinos, effectively steering gambling activity toward locally licensed operators within the country.
The timing of the draft law is notable given that Google only recently updated its Belarus gambling advertising policy in January 2026, moving to accept ads from properly licensed operators in the country.
Belarus is not alone in pursuing this regulatory path, with Italy having administered a similar blanket ban on gambling advertising, setting a precedent across the European market.
Spain, another jurisdiction with a strong anti-gambling regulatory stance, has since stepped back from a full advertising ban, acknowledging the practical need to allow licensed operators to reach their customers through legitimate channels.
The Belarus draft law represents one of the most comprehensive proposed advertising restrictions in the region, and the industry will be watching closely to see whether it passes in its current form.
