In Kazakhstan, they want to raise the age of access to gambling to 25 years

The Majilis is considering a bill that makes changes to the regulation of casinos, betting organizations and lotteries, reports Bizmedia.kz.

The changes were proposed by parliamentarians in response to the tasks set by the President of the country with the aim of combating gambling addiction. Elnur Beisenbayev, the leader of the team involved in the development of these amendments, shared information about the key aspects of the proposed law.

He noted that during discussions at the National Kurultai in 2021 and the Security Council in 2023, the leader of the state repeatedly emphasized the seriousness of the problem of game addiction among Kazakhstanis, pointing to the statistics of 400,000 people suffering from gambling addiction. The proposals of the deputies are as follows:

• Raising the age limit for gambling to 25, as it is believed that by this age people already have a stable source of income and can be more responsible about gambling unlike 21.
• Introduction of a ban on participation in gambling for persons entered in the Unified register of debtors, including those who owe loans, alimony and taxes.

The government is determined to reduce the spread of gambling. This type of advertising will be completely excluded in all mass media, except those specialized in sports.

Attention-grabbing statistics show that about 200,000 minors participate in gambling through bookmakers. In this regard, it is proposed to implement a video identification system for clarifying the identity of a client of bookmakers with the aim of synchronizing data with the databases of state institutions for identity verification.

At the same time, the operation of online casinos on the territory of Kazakhstan is prohibited, criminal liability is provided for violation of the established rules.

Legitimate bookmakers who allow players under the age of 25 or players who are on the debtors list will be warned and fined for the first time, and their license will be revoked for repeated offences.