Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has stated that the country’s gambling self-exclusion register currently contains around 224,000 active individuals.
The register was first introduced in March 2024, and since then, around 464,000 Kazakhstanis have applied for self-imposed gambling restrictions.
Olzhas Bektenov said authorities are considering further changes to the self-exclusion register, including extending the long-term self-exclusion period to 10 years. They are also considering introducing administrative penalties for gambling operators that allow excluded individuals to gamble.
Kazakhstan has seen a series of recent regulatory developments and enforcement actions in its gambling sector.
Authorities have moved to tighten controls on illegal online gambling payments. They uncovered schemes that use mobile phone balances to fund unlicensed casino activity.
The Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) issued instructions to telecom providers to strengthen monitoring and introduce systems to detect and block suspicious transactions.
Regarding the licensed market, under Government Resolution No. 167, bookmakers and totalisators are required to transfer 3.3% of each accepted bet. This rule took effect on 27 March 2026.
The country has also introduced updated rules restricting access to casinos, slot machine halls and betting venues in several regions to foreign nationals only. These changes took effect on 17 May, and new gambling zones will also be limited to foreign visitors.
In February, President Tokayev signed a law establishing the new gambling zones mentioned. Alongside the existing zones in Kapchagay and Burabay, four new areas may be created in the Mangystau, Zhetysu, Almaty and East Kazakhstan regions.
Following this, Kazakh Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerbol Myrzabossynov announced plans for two new casinos to open next year in the Almaty and Mangystau regions.
Kazakhstan is preparing to tighten rules on the promotion of online gambling, with regulators and lawmakers signalling tougher penalties for influencers and intermediaries involved in advertising illegal casino platforms
