According to Pashinyan, gambling has increased – statistics reveal

The newspaper "Haykakan Zhamanak" writes: "On September 20, 2018, during a Cabinet meeting, Nikol Pashinyan promised, 'If gambling has started to play a role and a significant role in our country's economic growth and economic activity indicators, that is a serious problem in a country with 30 percent poverty. On the one hand, poverty is being encouraged, and on the other hand, gambling is being encouraged. We need to pursue a policy that does not encourage either.' A month later, he stated in the Armenian National Assembly: 'When I was walking in Kapan, women were pointing out the betting offices from their windows and shouting, 'Close them as soon as possible.' Because, they said, on payday, their husbands go there and only come home later. It’s hard to describe what phenomenon this is. I associate it with desperation. People are so desperate that they hope something miraculous will happen and they will earn capital.'

Five years later, in 2023, during his first press conference, Pashinyan proudly stated that 'now it is not as easy to place bets as it was before. And we see a significant decline in the betting sector.' However, as often, reality tells a different story. Official statistics from the State Revenue Committee of Armenia show that rather than a decline, there is an unprecedented growth in this sector. The newspaper "Haykakan Zhamanak" reminds us that the statistics for betting in recent years are as follows:

• 2017 – 138.5 billion drams
• 2018 – 333.6 billion drams
• 2019 – 1.1 trillion drams
• 2020 – 2 trillion drams
• 2021 – 3.9 trillion drams
• January to November 2022 – 5.3 trillion drams

Data for 2023 has not yet been published. The figures do not include bets placed in casinos."