Belarus Prepares Full Ban on Outdoor Advertising of Gambling

Placement requirements. In addition to a full ban on outdoor advertising of gambling establishments, including online casinos, the bill prohibits placement of such advertising:

• on vehicles and in vehicle interiors;
• at stops, railway stations and bus stations;
• in apartment buildings;
• in retail facilities and shopping centers;
• in catering establishments.

An exception is provided for the signage of the gambling establishments themselves.

Background

The initiative follows an instruction from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to further study the operation of the gambling business in the country. The head of state pointed to the abundance of gambling advertising and stated that "the country has turned into a casino."

For the Belarusian advertising market, the bill means a shrinking outdoor advertising segment: billboard, transport and indoor advertising operators will lose gambling advertisers. Gambling operators and virtual platforms will have to restructure their communication with audiences — shifting the focus to permitted channels and adding mandatory risk warnings.