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The Armenian National Assembly was debating today a bill proposing to ban bookmakers and online gambling in Armenia, drafted by Republican lawmakers Samvel Farmanyan and Mihran Hakobyan.

Introducing the draft law to the lawmakers, Farmanyan slammed the sports betting as ‘cancer’ for Armenia, which should be prohibited by law.

“The bill refers to banning the activities of both local and international bookmaking activities both at their offices and online,” Farmanyan said, stressing some 99.9% of the Armenian society is in favour of the initiative.

He added Acting PM Nikol Pashinyan has also touched upon the issue on various occasions, noting that apart from its harmful effects on the economy, gambling inflicts a serious blow to the moral description of the Armenian people.

Farmanyan says he has worked on the measure for over six years.

“Different governments have come up with different arguments on why banning bookmakers would be inappropriate in Armenia. I believe that the parliament can unanimously make this important step for all of us, regardless of our political affiliation, be able to sleep calmly, knowing that we are saving people from a potential swamp” he said.

The MP called all his colleagues from Tsarukyan, Yelk and ARF factions to back the measure in the first reading on Thursday.