iGN x 4H: Review of Betting License in Kazakhstan
The iGN editorial team, together with experts from 4H Agency, prepared an analysis of Kazakhstan’s licensing model, where only online bookmaker activities and totalizators are allowed. A key requirement for online operations is the presence of a licensed physical betting office (PBO) or bookmaker’s shop (BK).
Online Betting (10-Year License)
- License fee — ~$4,700 per year
- Mandatory reserve — ~$300,000 (BK), ~$74,700 (totalizator)
- Minimum share capital — from ~$833,000 (25,000 MCI)
- Mandatory presence of a physical PBO for online operations
- License validity — 10 years
Taxes and Payments
- License fee — ~$4,700 annually
- Cash register tax (totalizator) — ~$3,000 (online), ~$2,240 (offline) per month
- Cash register tax (BK) — ~$21,240 (online), ~$2,240 (offline) per month
- Winning tax — 10% of the prize amount
- Application review period — up to 15 business days
Applicant Requirements
- Company must be registered in Kazakhstan with an official office meeting sanitary and fire safety standards
- Ownership of equipment for accepting and recording bets
- Mandatory use of online cash registers registered in Kazakhstan and accounted for by tax authorities
- Use of platforms with .kz or .қаз domains only — other domains prohibited
- Hardware and software complex (HSC) with server located in Kazakhstan, integrated with tax and financial monitoring systems
- Automatic data transmission of bets through a unified accounting system
- Mandatory player identification through HSC with personal data recording
- Rules for accepting bets in Kazakh and Russian
- Contract with a licensed security organization
- Compliance with AML/CFT requirements
Prohibitions
- Complete ban on organizing online casinos in any form
- Prohibition on accepting bets outside official PBOs and online cash registers of BKs or totalizators
- Prohibition on virtual bets and betting on events generated by software (including esports), except for live broadcasts of real events
- Ban on payments to offshore operators
- Full ban on external advertising — in media, transport, cinemas (only on-site and sports-related advertising allowed)
- Government officials, military personnel, security service employees, and individuals in the debt registry are not allowed to place bets
Market Features
- The largest and most tightly regulated betting market in Central Asia, currently undergoing significant rule tightening
- In 2024–2025, amendments were introduced to reduce gambling addiction and combat offshore sites — over 11,000 illegal sites identified, more than 6,600 blocked
- Strict ban on online casinos, but technical blocking is challenging (especially advertising on TikTok and other social media)
- Demand for casinos is met by foreign operators, prompting further regulatory tightening
According to 4H, the Kazakhstan license uses a hybrid model requiring both online and offline presence. High taxes are offset by access to a large Central Asian audience, but the market remains tightly controlled with increasing oversight.
Kazakhstan is moving towards a combination of strict regulation and partial legalization while maintaining a priority on player protection and market transparency.