Real Money Online Gambling in Uzbekistan to Soon Become Legal
Uzbekistan takes one step closer to having a regulated online gambling industry.
Uzbekistan legalizes online gambling from 1st of January 2025. © LoggaWiggler, Pixabay
Key Facts:
- The Uzbekistani government has approved licensing system for online gambling and lotteries.
- Operators have to pass a series of stringent checks to obtain a license.
- Online gambling and lotteries will be legal from 1 January 2025.
- The government wants gambling to be safe, fair and firmly regulated.
On 6 December, Uzbekistan’s Cabinet of Ministers formally approved the proposed licensing framework for online gambling and lotteries. From 1 January 2025, both online gambling and lotteries will be completely legal in the country. However, real-life locations such as land-based casinos are prohibited.
Online Gambling and Lotteries in Uzbekistan to Become Legal
The regulatory authority that will supply licenses to approved operators will be the National Agency for Prospective Projects (NAPP). To obtain a license, an operator needs to meet a number of requirements related to financial matters and compliance procedures. These include using certified software and verifying players’ identities properly.
For an operator of an online casino or betting site to qualify for a license, it needs to have 56.25bn soums ($4.4 billion) in authorised capital and a reserve fund of 28.125bn soums ($2.1 billion). These two requirements are lower for lottery operators.
The licenses issued by NAPP will cover a five-year period. All companies that have one are required to use Uzbekistan’s national internet domain for their websites, use only certified gambling software and have thorough player verification checks in place.
As per the new regulations, venues aren’t allowed to offer real-money gambling services. This includes things like physical gaming machines and tables for card games. There is one exception to this: lottery tickets. Any place that only sells lottery tickets is allowed to continue operating.
NAPP will have finalised all of its regulatory documents by 1 January 2025. The regulatory authority will have also set up its monitoring mechanisms to oversee gambling activity and check on licensed operators. It will work closely with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Central Bank and Tax Committee.
Restrictions and Limitations in Place
Naturally, there are various rules that restrict and limit who can gamble online for real money and what types of gambling can take place. Gambling is illegal for those under the age of 18, and all licensed companies must follow strict protocols to prevent underage people from accessing gambling services.
When it comes to sports betting, NAPP forbids companies from offering bets on certain kinds of events, namely youth sports and local matches. License applicants are made aware of all the rules and have to agree to stick to them as part of the review process.
Companies that don’t follow NAPP’s rules will face fines. The size of the fine will vary depending on the type of rule-breaking and the degree to which the operator has gone against NAPP’s regulations. Companies based in other countries can also face fines.
