The Republic of Uzbekistan is legalising online gambling from next year. The approximately 37 million inhabitants of Uzbekistan will then probably not only be able to legally gamble in online casinos, but also place sports bets online and take part in lotteries. But why did the President of Uzbekistan sign a decree to this effect a few weeks ago?

It is almost exactly 5,000 kilometres as the crow flies from the German capital Berlin to Uzbekistan. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is said to have recently signed a decree legalising online casinos and other online gambling from 1 January 2025. Just a few months ago, we at GambleJoe reported that Liechtenstein has decided against issuing licences for online casinos until 2028.

Uzbekistan to open up the online gambling market from 2025

According to recent media reports, participation in online gambling will only be possible from the age of 18, as in most other countries around the world. The Prospective Projects National Agency (NAPP) is to be responsible for monitoring the legal regulations in future. To date, this Uzbek authority has primarily been responsible for monitoring the crypto market.

Until recently, the Uzbek government maintained the strict ban on gambling that has been in place in the country since 2007. Just a few months ago, we reported here on the complete ban on slot machines in Prague.

Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia with around 37 million inhabitants. Its neighbouring states include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. With a population of 2.5 million, the Uzbek capital Tashkent is larger than the German metropolis of Hamburg. To this day, the Uzbek government has been repeatedly criticised for sometimes serious violations of human rights.

Why is Uzbekistan legalising the online gambling market?

The reasons why individual countries legalise the online gambling sector are often the same. In addition to the desired channelling effect, it is often the expected tax revenues that prompt those responsible to open up the gambling sector - presumably also in the case of Uzbekistan.

Specifically, the decree signed by the Uzbek president stipulates that gaming companies must pay 4% of gross gaming revenue as tax. A few days ago, we reported on GambleJoe that the gambling tax in the Netherlands could soon amount to 37%.

It is not yet clear under which conditions online casinos will be authorised in Uzbekistan in the future. The costs for a licence are also not yet known. It therefore remains to be seen how attractive the legal online gambling sector in Uzbekistan will actually become.

Image source: https://pixabay.com/de/photos/shohizinda-nekropole-samarkand-196892/

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