Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis has approved in the third and final reading a package of amendments significantly strengthening criminal penalties for online gambling and related offenses, EDnews reports.
Under the new legislation, gambling conducted through the internet, mobile communication networks, social media platforms, or other electronic communication technologies will face tougher criminal sanctions. The amendments also impose stricter penalties for offenses involving minors, organized groups, or substantial illegal profits.
Individuals found guilty of conducting online gambling, allowing minors to participate, acting as part of a group, or earning significant income from illegal gambling may face fines of up to twice the illicit proceeds, restriction of liberty for two to four years, or imprisonment for the same period.
For offenses committed by organized criminal groups or those generating large-scale illegal income, penalties increase to restriction of liberty or imprisonment for three to five years.
The amendments also replace the current fixed fine of 10,000–15,000 manats with a variable fine of up to twice the income obtained through the crime, aligning financial penalties with the scale of illegal earnings.
In addition, lawmakers approved harsher punishments for repeat offenses, organizing or operating gambling venues, involving minors, and crimes generating significant, large, or particularly large illegal profits. Under the revised Criminal Code, repeat offenders will face prison terms of five to eight years, compared with the current range of four to eight years.
The bill was adopted following parliamentary debate during the Milli Majlis' extraordinary session and now awaits the remaining legal procedures before entering into force.
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