Kazakhstan's government has reported that banks have successfully blocked over $21 million in transactions related to illegal casino platforms within a span of six months. Prime Minister Oljas Bektenov revealed that these transaction blocks were enforced by second-tier banks from October 2025 to March 2026, leading to the cancellation of around 402,000 gambling-related payments.
Speaking at a parliamentary inquiry focused on tackling gambling addiction and illegal betting, as cited by Kazakh media outlet Tengri News, Bektenov mentioned that the government has created a blacklist of foreign online casino operators. This list comprises 110 well-known e-payment providers, with all financial interactions to and from these platforms now prohibited.
Bektenov also highlighted increased scrutiny on illegal gambling activities, stating that since early 2026, law enforcement has initiated 15 criminal cases and identified 40 illegal online casino operators. This crackdown led to the arrest of 11 individuals linked to financial institutions that allegedly aided in the operation of these illegal casinos. Authorities have disrupted several networks of card mules involved in laundering money for online casinos. Banks have frozen 1,144 accounts connected to these mules, prompting 10 pre-trial investigations.
As a part of its measures, Kazakhstan's newly launched Unified System for Accounting of Betting and Gambling Games has blocked 135,000 individuals from placing bets online. Introduced in March this year, this system automatically verifies a person’s eligibility to gamble and allows individuals struggling with gambling issues to voluntarily register. Additionally, the government can add individuals deemed at-risk to this system.
Among the 116,000 people blocked, a significant proportion were found to be in considerable debt, with 15,000 previously participating in self-exclusion programs. It is estimated that around half a million citizens in Kazakhstan gamble regularly, including about 15,000 who may face gambling addiction.
In early 2024, the government started providing gambling addiction counseling in health clinics, with Bektenov encouraging those who feel unable to control their gambling to seek help. He clarified that seeking consultation does not place individuals on a medical register, thus not hampering their opportunities for employment or education.
Despite the availability of these services, fewer than 200 people have utilized them, and less than a dozen approached them in the first quarter of 2026. The government's recent actions to address gambling issues include banning advertising for bookmakers, raising the minimum gambling age to 21, and prohibiting online betting for civil servants, active military personnel, and convicted criminals. They have also blocked about 62,000 illegal gambling websites.
Bektenov assured that the government will collaborate with legislators to enhance efforts against gambling addiction and illegal gambling. Earlier in the month, lawmaker Nurlan Auesbayev suggested temporarily deferring bank loans for individuals diagnosed with gambling addiction, citing significant financial losses as detrimental to families.
Nonetheless, plans to establish new casinos exclusively for foreign passport holders are still moving forward in certain regions of the nation.
