The Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan is considering the possibility of creating new gambling zones that Kazakhstani citizens will not be able to access. The goal is to attract foreign investment without exacerbating the issues of gambling addiction within the country.
According to forecasts, by 2029, the number of foreign tourists in the region will reach 148,000, creating 7,000 new jobs, and tax revenues from casinos will amount to about 1.2 billion tenge per year. In Zhetysu, 67% of local residents support this idea; the region is expected to welcome 36,000 tourists, create 700 jobs, and generate 2.4 billion tenge in taxes. Almaty region shows a 54.5% approval rate. By 2028, the establishment of two gambling zones is planned, which by 2030 will attract 22,810 tourists, create 2,000 jobs, and bring in 6.5 billion tenge in taxes.
The ministry emphasizes that each new casino could provide the state with 2-3 billion tenge in taxes annually and create about 500 jobs. Construction has already begun at "Warm Beach" in Mangistau and at the international tourist center "Ak-Bulak" in Almaty region, funded by private investors.
— Global experience shows that gambling zones operating exclusively for foreigners indeed contribute to attracting tourists and developing resort infrastructure in some countries, without affecting internal social issues, — the ministry claims.
However, the experience of neighboring countries in the CIS and Asia shows that it is not that simple.
Who profits from the bets?
It should be noted that such strict segregation is rare in CIS countries.
The only example can be found in Kyrgyzstan, where casinos on Issyk-Kul and in Bishkek are closed to local residents. In 2025, the budget received a record 443 million soms (just over 5 million dollars) from them, although this concerns only a few establishments.
In Russia, all four gambling zones located in tourist areas are open to everyone. In Georgia, casinos operate without restrictions throughout the country, especially in Batumi and Tbilisi, but since 2021, authorities have imposed strict limitations on local citizens: a minimum age of 25, a ban for civil servants, socially vulnerable individuals, etc. As a result, over 1.5 million Georgians have found themselves on a blacklist, which constitutes about 40% of the adult population.
Foreigners can gamble from the age of 18 and pay lower taxes (5% on winnings — this is only for locals), and they also have access to special online platforms with preferential rates. As a result, the industry focused on tourists brings billions to the budget but initially triggered an epidemic of gambling addiction among local residents, which led to the introduction of such measures.
Kazakhstan, according to the Ministry of Tourism, aims to attract tourists while simultaneously protecting its own society. However, there is a significant risk of corruption.
High-Stakes Game
Let’s recall the unfortunate experience of the Betting Accounting Center (BAC).
From 2018 to 2020, the Ministry of Culture and Sports (later — Tourism and Sports) actively promoted the creation of a unified system through which all payments of betting companies in Kazakhstan were to be processed. The official goal was to bring the huge market (estimated turnover of 600 billion tenge per year) out of the shadows and increase tax revenues by 25-30 billion tenge.
However, it soon became clear that the BAC was conceived as a private monopoly structure: all bets were processed through one server, and the operator received a 4% commission (according to various estimates, the profit amounted to 20-25 billion tenge per year). On February 22, 2021, the anti-corruption service detained the Vice Minister of Culture and Sports Saken Musaybekov. He was removed from the Nur-Sultan — Dubai flight right at the airport, while the owner and director of the company chosen by the Ministry of Culture as the BAC operator were also detained.
In August 2021, the court found Musaybekov guilty of receiving a bribe and fraud using his official position, imposing a fine of 62 million tenge.
After this scandal, the BAC project was frozen, and in 2022 the Ministry of Culture officially rejected it as a "useless structure." However, the idea did not disappear.
In 2024-2025, it was revived under a new name — the Unified Accounting System (UAS). It is now positioned as a state platform with a 1% commission, which will yield 13-15 billion tenge per year.
The scandal with the BAC became a vivid example of how good intentions to regulate the gambling market can turn into a tool for creating a private cash cow, and the project was shut down only after corruption came to light.
Today, while discussing new gambling zones and the UAS, many recall this story as a warning.
Card Disclosure
It is premature to talk about corruption in the new system now, but the question of the feasibility of this scheme remains open, notes tourism consultant Yulia Palchevskaya.
— The example of Georgia is hardly relevant, not to mention Singapore, — she believes. — Yes, the gambling business in Georgia is actively developing, but it is very clearly oriented towards certain geographical regions. In Turkey, which has a developed economy, one of the strictest anti-gambling legislations in the world is in effect. The situation there is similar to that of the USA during the Great Depression: everything is prohibited. Georgian casinos essentially cater to Turkish clients, but where does Kazakhstan plan to attract tourists from?
She emphasizes that foreign tourists choose not just casinos, but places with developed tourist infrastructure and reasonable prices.
— I would like to believe that wealthy foreigners will flock to Kazakhstan upon learning about the new gambling zones, — Palchevskaya skeptically notes. — However, in reality, this is far from the case. There are many variables in this sector, such as logistics, and it is these that determine where the gambling business develops. The choice of destinations for tourists is already a secondary task.
The creation of gambling zones for foreigners in Kazakhstan appears to be a quick way to attract tourists and currency, believes migration law attorney Aigerim Khandullayeva. However, from a legal, financial, and international perspective, she considers this model extremely risky.
— In fact, this will create different legal regimes depending on citizenship, which contradicts the principle of equality and Kazakhstan's international obligations, — she emphasizes. — Even if such restrictions are included in the law, they will inevitably become the subject of legal disputes, leading to legal instability for businesses and investors.
Moreover, the expert notes that for foreign tourists, not only the opportunity to play is important, but also legal protection, transparent rules, and the safety of funds. If a country is associated with gray schemes and insufficient financial control, the flow of quality tourists will not increase. Instead, problematic capital that cannot legally function in normal financial systems may enter the country.
— The practice of other countries shows that gambling zones for foreigners become a breeding ground for fictitious residencies and shadow transactions, creating risks of money laundering and international claims against the financial system, — Khandullayeva points out. — A state striving to become a financial and investment hub cannot simultaneously create an image of a "casino jurisdiction" for dubious capitals. This undermines the trust of banks, investors, and international partners.
In conclusion, she summarizes, the short-term influx of funds may turn into long-term damage to the economy and the international image of the country, which will cost significantly more than temporary benefits.
There is a likelihood that if the new zones in Mangistau or "Ak-Bulak" are handed over to "necessary" investors, and control is merely formal, all promises of billions of tenge and thousands of jobs will remain only on paper, and the money will go into the pockets of intermediaries.
Thus, instead of success, Kazakhstan may face failure and another corruption scandal.
Are the stakes too high?
