Uzbekistan prepares for rollout of regulated gambling with new sanctions in penal code
The country has introduced specific sanctions for unlicensed gambling ahead of the launch of a regulated market.
Uzbekistan.- New criminal penalties have been added to the country’s Penal Code in preparation for the rollout of regulated gambling in Uzbekistan from October 9. These include sanctions for both domestic and foreign opertors that offer unauthorised gambling.
The updated code enables the prosecution of unlicensed platforms and service providers that target Uzbek players. Fines will be linked to Uzbekistan’s Base Calculation Unit (BRV), with International operators offering gambling without approval to face penalties of 25,000 BRV (€750,000). In serious breaches, authorities will have the power to confiscate earnings from illegal activity and restrict offending businesses from accessing domestic financial systems and internet services.
Illegal land-based gaming venues, such as unlicensed casinos, betting shops or mobile gambling venues would face the same penalties, while entities that violate anti-money laundering requirements or misuse customer data risk fines of 15,000 BRV (€450,000). Accepting bets or deposits for unauthorised games could result penalties of around €300,000.
Gambling was banned in Uzbekistan in 2007, with the exception of state-run lotteries. The new reforms now aim to redirect illicit activity into legitimate channels to boost transparency and AML protections while channeling revenue to public resources.
A dedicated gambling regulator has yet to be esablished. In the meantime, the National Agency of Perspective Projects (NAPP) will be responsible for licensing, oversight and enforcement. A government-owned platform called the Unified State Register of Bets and Players (USRBP) will log all gambling transactions, including bets, winnings and user account data. This will enforce monthly betting limits.
Operators must hold an authorised capital of at least UZS 56.25bn (€3.9m), apart from lottery operators, for whom the figure has been set at €1.4m. Gamling and lottery operators must also hold reserve funds of €1.75m and €945,000 respectively. Details on the licence application windows are expected soon.
