The Parliament of Azerbaijan has passed a legislative bill in its first reading to strengthen criminal liability for unauthorized gambling operations, including digital platforms. The measure replaces fixed monetary penalties with fines calculated based on the scale of illicit earnings.
Financial Penalties and Sentencing Changes
Under the proposed legislation, courts will no longer apply the previous fixed penalty range of $5,900 to $8,800. Instead, financial sanctions will reach up to twice the amount of revenue generated from unlawful gambling activities. The statutory imprisonment term for organizing illegal gambling remains unchanged at two to four years.
The bill also modifies sentencing guidelines for repeat violations. Current regulations allow for a four to five year restriction of freedom or a four to eight year prison term. The updated framework removes the restriction option and mandates a five to eight year imprisonment for subsequent offenses.
Lawmakers designed the amendments to align punishment severity with the financial scope of unauthorized operations.