Azerbaijan is set to strengthen its efforts against illegal online gambling following the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Agency (MKA) under a decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev.
The MKA will take measures to prevent unlicensed gambling platforms from operating in the country. A Board of Directors will be established, consisting of a chairman and three deputy members, to provide general management and oversight of the agency’s activities.
This development comes after the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) raised concerns about millions of manats being transferred abroad through illegal gambling.
CBA Chairman Taleh Kazimov noted: “Extremely large sums are being transferred abroad. Some individuals open bank card accounts to take part in gambling activities abroad. The volume of such payments reaches millions of manats. We must prevent this.”
He added that the financial sector should not act as an intermediary for the movement of illegal funds and must report such activity to the Financial Monitoring Service.
While authorities target illegal gambling, proposals for the country's first integrated resort are being discussed. Last year, Azerbaijan’s Parliament approved legislation authorising the development of casino resorts on artificial islands in the Caspian Sea.
Azerbaijani businessman Emin Agalarov announced plans to develop a large complex within the Sea Breeze resort city near Baku. The project reportedly covers more than 90,000 square metres, includes over 100 gaming tables and more than 1,500 slot machines. Surrounding the casino would be 10 branded hotels and a concert hall.
Azerbaijan prohibits most forms of gambling, with only a few tightly regulated exceptions, including sports betting, lotteries and a new artificial-island casino initiative
