Online gambling and bookmaking requirements approved in Uzbekistan

The government has approved the requirements and conditions for organizing gambling, lottery and bookmaking activities in Uzbekistan. The license term for organizers is set at 5 years, and their authorized capital must be at least 56.25 billion soums. A number of prohibitions and restrictions have also been established.

The Government of Uzbekistan has adopted a resolution allowing the legal organization of gambling, lotteries, and bookmaking activities over the Internet starting January 1, 2025. This step is aimed at legalizing the gambling industry and regulating these activities.

The activities of gambling, lottery and bookmaking organizers are carried out on the basis of a special license. The license term is 5 years. The following main conditions have been set for licensing:

The authorized capital of the organizers must be at least 56.25 billion soums.

Software used for online games must have certificates approved by a licensing authority.

The activity is carried out only through a domain within the national internet segment of Uzbekistan.

The license fee is set at 18.75 million soums. In addition, 1% of the proceeds from each game or lottery will be transferred to a special fund.

According to the resolution, persons under the age of 18 are prohibited from participating in online gambling and bookmaking. The following activities are also prohibited:

Betting on sports competitions between children and teenagers.

Gambling or betting on local events (sports matches, political processes) within the territory of Uzbekistan.

Online gambling and bookmaker operators are required to digitally identify their customers. In this process, the customer must provide their personal information, including a photo and a copy of their passport.

Also, customer rates and their financial transactions are monitored through a single state register.

For traditional lotteries, the payout of winnings must be at least 50% of the total proceeds. For electronic lotteries, this figure is set at 75%.

Lottery organizers must adjust the volume of tickets issued to their specific financial capacity. In the first year, this limit should not exceed 5 times their own funds.

The government's new decisions also include elements of social protection. For example:

A list of persons addicted to gambling is maintained. They are deprived of participation in games for up to 5 years upon their own application or the application of their relatives.

Restrictions on online gambling include special categories of citizens that take into account their age, sources of income, and other factors.

These legislative changes could bring additional revenue to the state budget by legalizing gambling activities. License fees, taxes, and cash payments by organizers are expected to have a positive impact on the national economy.

Thus, the new decision paves the way for the legal development of the gambling industry in Uzbekistan. However, this sector must be carefully monitored from a social and economic perspective.