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A group of employees of bookmaker companies are staging a protest outside the Armenian National Assembly building in downtown Yerevan against a recent bill adopted by the parliament’s Standing Committee on Economic Affairs.

The new measure proposes amendments to Armenia’s law on lotteries, which would ban the activities of bookmakers from November 2020.

The co-authors of the bill are Prosperous Armenia faction MP Naira Zohrabyan, ruling My Step MP Sipan Pashinyan and Deputy Speaker Alen Simonyan, who claim the legislative initiative is an important step towards combatting gambling in the country.

The demonstrators argue the shutdown of betting officers will leave some 1,500 people unemployed and will create favorable conditions for the activities of online betting sites.

An employee of Goodwinbet stressed the government should ban the activities of all companies, including online gambling sites, if the authorities believe there should be no casinos in the country.

The protesters blocked Baghramyan Avenue. Police officers proposed the demonstrators to form a group of five and meet lawmakers, including the authors of the bill, who had expressed willingness to meet with them, but they said they did not want to meet with Alen Simonyan.

Eventually, several protesters entered the parliament building for negotiations.

Meantime, the demonstrators unveiled their plans to continue blocking the avenue until their demands are  fulfilled.