The government of Kazakhstan says two new casinos may open as early as next year, just weeks after it approved several more gambling zones. The hunt for financial backers, however, remains ongoing.
Speaking during a government briefing session, Yerbol Myrzabosynov, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, said casinos in the Mangystau and Almaty regions could open before the end of 2027.
Work is “currently underway” on the projects, the Kazakh media outlet Baq.kz reported Myrzabosynov as saying.
But this work appears to be mainly preparatory at this stage. The ministry says it has joined forces with local authorities in both regions “to identify land plots and sites for gambling facilities.”
“There are no investors yet,” Myrzabosynov said in response to a question from a media representative.
New Kazakhstan Casinos: What We Know
The minister said the project in the Almaty region, near Akbulak, is the “most advanced” of the two, adding that “the necessary infrastructure” for development already exists in the area.
Developers in the Mangistau region are still working on a hotel complex.
In other parts of the country, site selection processes remain ongoing. The search for investors is also underway in these regions, the minister added.
In March, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of Kazakhstan, signed a law mandating the creation of new gambling zones in several regions of the country.
The government has approved resort zones on the shores of the Caspian Sea, in Zaysan, and in Markakol.
And, as of next month, gambling operators will be able to launch casinos in Alatau, a partially deregulated city that the government hopes will attract international IT and crypto operators.
Access to all the new casinos will be permitted only to foreign citizens, “stateless” persons, casino employees, and individuals on official business at the facilities.
The tourism ministry, which first revealed details of its plans in January, says each new casino could eventually contribute about $6 million in taxes every year.
A clause in the new law prohibits casinos, slot machine parlors, bookmakers, and betting shops in areas of natural beauty.
The government says it will also block casino development at historical and cultural heritage sites, as well as areas associated with defense and national security.
Central Asia’s Gambling Pivot
Several Central and East Asian nations have pursued similar models in recent years. In Kyrgyzstan, which shares a land border with Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov said last month a 2022 decision to legalize foreigners-only casinos has paid off.
Japarov said the move had brought millions of dollars into the Kyrgyz economy.
Others, however, have shunned the sector. Tajikistan banned casinos in 2009, while Uzbekistan does not permit land-based casinos.
Vietnam initially allowed only foreign passport holders to gamble at its casinos. But the government has indicated a willingness to amend this law.
Several casinos last year launched a pilot program allowing small groups of citizens to place bets at casinos in Phu Quoc, Ho Tram, and Van Don.
