Gambling License of the Republic of Belarus

Publication date: 06 Mar 2023

How to obtain a gambling license in Belarus?

To set up a legal online casino website in the Republic of Belarus, you need to obtain a gambling license.  You can submit the documents either in person or by email or post.

• Find out more: How does the gambling business operate in Belarus?
• This will help: Top 15 betting and gambling offers in Belarus

How to get a license to attract players from Belarus?

A legal entity or individual entrepreneur can become a gambling license holder in Belarus. Registration in Belarus and professional experience in gambling business from 3 years is required.  The license is valid for 10 years, but it can be extended.

To obtain the license you must pay the state duty:

• for organizers of gambling – 90,000 basic units*;
• for online betting and sweepstakes – 20 000 basic units.

Besides, the account (with a bank or a non-bank financial institution of the Republic of Belarus) of the gambling organizer must contain USD 1 million (its equivalent in the national currency). This is an insurance deposit that guarantees payments to players.

What documents are necessary to obtain a gambling license in Belarus?

In order to receive a license to maintain a virtual gambling establishment in Belarus, it is necessary to provide:

• notarized copies of documents confirming the registration of the domain name in the national segment of the Internet;
• notarized copy of the expert report confirming compliance of the virtual gambling establishment with the requirements established by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus;
• a notarized copy of the certificate of conformity of the information protection system;
• information on the head of the company and his deputies (full name, ID card). The head of the company must have at least 3 years of experience in the gambling business;
• information from the internal affairs agencies about the lack of an unexpunged or outstanding conviction for a crime against the order of economic activity of the head and his deputies.

Operators must provide tax authorities with remote access to the site’s server, and must connect their resource to a specific cash register system, which ensures turnover control and identifies online casino visitors.

A first offence results in a warning, a fine of between 50 and 200 basic units and a six-month period to correct. If the violation is not rectified, the license is revoked. It is also possible to lose your license in court.

*Basic unit in Belarus is an indicator used by the government of the country to calculate social benefits (benefits, pensions), fees, taxes and penalties. As of January 1, 2021, the BU was 29 Belarusian roubles.

If we assume that the exchange rate for November 2021 was 1 Belarusian rouble = 0.4 USD = 0.4 EUR, then:

• 29 BU = 11.85 USD = 10.35 EUR;
• 200 BU = 82 USD = 71 EUR;
• 20,000 BU = 8147 USD = 7139 EUR;
• 90,000 BU = 36783 USD = 32128 EUR.