Kazakhstan to increase age limit for gambling

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has confirmed new rules for gambling venues.

Kazakhstan.- The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has confirmed plans to tighten rules for access to gambling. Vice minister Yerzhan Erkinbayev said the new rules will include an increase in the minimum age for gambling from 21 to 25.

He said the move was intended to end gambling addiction among young people and to protect people from debt. The ministry will introduce new administrative duties to monitor the age of customers in venues and will require the police to present policies for handling venues that serve underage customers.

The ministry also plans to restrict access to gambling for people who have overdue loans or other financial obligations.

To date, Kazakhstan has no specific legislative framework for gambling at the national level, although the provinces of Almaty and Akmola have been allowed to host state-owned casinos in authorised areas. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for increased consumer protection in the sector.

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