SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan has confirmed that it will recommend stringent rules to tighten “public access to gambling venues”.
The announcement was made by Vice Minister, Yerzhan Erkinbayev who declared that his department is set to publish its recommendations on gambling protections as demanded by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Amongst the proposals reported by local media, Erkinbayev will endorse that Kazakhstan’s government increase the current gambling age limit from 21-to-25 years of age.
The minister cited that he wanted to “end the manifestation of gambling addiction amongst Kazakh youth” and the negative consequences of the public incurring debt due to addiction.
Further recommendations will see the Ministry support new ‘administrative responsibilities’ to ensure that customers are of legal age to be present in gambling venues.
The Ministry has called on the Kazakh police force to draft new policies related to ‘criminal liability’ of venues serving underage customers and providing illegal gambling services.
Media were notified that the Ministry further supports “introducing financial restrictions on participation in gambling for individuals with overdue loans or other financial obligations”.
A tightening of Kazakhstan’s gambling laws were outlined last month by President Tokayev in his address to the Kazakh Security Council.
Since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan maintains no dedicated legislative framework to govern gambling disciplines.
At present, the only regulatory policy authorised in 2007, allowed for the provinces of Almaty and Akmola to launch state-owned casinos operating in ‘authorised gambling zones’.
Since his intervention, it’s been reported that President Tokayev will review “62 recommendations related to gambling, lotteries and other betting activities”. Despite calling for urgent change, Tokayev has outlined no plans to establish a specific gambling law for Kazakhstan.
