On 19 April, the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, signed a decree expanding the powers of the National Agency for Perspective Projects (NAPP) to include gambling and lotteries, as well as capital markets and insurance services. This decree also includes betting, lottery operations, and online gambling as activities that require licensing. The new regulator has already begun to fulfil its mandate and aims to reform the industry.
Reform of the NAPP as an alternative to ineffective bans
Recall that a year ago, the President of Uzbekistan signed a decree regulating online gambling and betting activities. He explained the necessity of the NAPP reform by the fact that previous bans proved ineffective and led to the leakage of tax revenues, the growth of gambling addiction, and the illegal market.
On 16 December 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan approved rules establishing requirements for organisers of gambling and betting shops, including the online sector. These rules include the minimum amount of authorised capital, the size of the reserve fund, the procedure for player registration, and other conditions.
The final stage was the approval of the draft law setting the rules for licensing operators in January 2025. Head of Milliy Tiklanish faction Alisher Kadirov noted that his party supported the initiative solely due to the recognition of the ineffectiveness of previous restrictive measures, UzDaily reports.
Licence conditions for online operators in Uzbekistan
Together with the approval of the Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan, the ANPP received the right to issue licences for betting and online 바카라 activities for a period of five years. A single licence fee of 500 basic units of account (about $45,000) has been set, and a fee of 250 basic units of account (about $22,500) is charged for amending a licence.
The new regulator also oversees compliance by foreign operators offering services to Uzbek residents. All operators, including foreign operators, can be fined for violating licence requirements.
Following the example of Brazil and Argentina
Uzbekistan’s new regulation provides for the creation of a Unified State Register of bets and players to monitor gambling activities. In this regard, licence conditions for online operators include a requirement for biometric verification of player identity as part of the KYC procedure. The NABP has been tasked with developing digital identification procedures for reconciliation with the register.
Similar procedures have already been implemented in Brazil and Argentina’s iGaming markets. For example, Brazilian bettors can open accounts under the following conditions: being over 18 years old, providing individual taxpayer registration data (CPF), and agreeing to use facial biometrics to verify identity and age.
Ban on gambling adverts and Telegram
Among other regulatory procedures, the Uzbek Competition Committee systematically monitors and analyses advertisements disseminated through online information resources and social networks. The Committee is currently concerned about the spread of gambling advertisements on social networking sites, especially Telegram.
In accordance with article 46 of the Advertising Act, advertising of gambling and other risk-based games is prohibited. However, in the process of studying such cases, the regulatory authorities often fail to identify the persons responsible for promoting betting services on Telegram channels and social networks. To take appropriate measures, the available materials are sent to the Cyber Security Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In conclusion
Since 1 January 2025, Uzbekistan has officially entered the list of destinations for the development of iGaming in Central Asia. The gambling market is regulated by the ANPP, which has set relatively affordable licence fees and plans to introduce responsible gambling measures following the example of Brazil and Argentina. As gambling advertising is prohibited, Uzbekistan’s Competition Committee is looking for ways to stop operators from promoting gambling on social media and Telegram channels.
This article was first published in Russian on 12 May 2025.
