Kazakhstan’s licensed iGaming market lost nearly 70 per cent of its demand between January and June after a series of regulatory changes disrupted payment processing across the country’s betting sector, according to new data from Blask.
The report says Kazakhstan recorded “the sharpest decline Blask has recorded in a major CIS market,” with three regulatory measures accelerating what had already been a gradual market slowdown into a market-wide collapse by June.
According to Blask, the steep decline follows Kazakhstan’s broader push to tighten gambling regulation. The government have expanded self-exclusion measures, strengthened enforcement against illegal gambling payments, introduced new compliance requirements for licensed operators, and increased financial monitoring as part of efforts to improve consumer protection and combat money laundering.
Payment reforms halt licensed operators
The report states that the trouble started on 5 March, when the ESU or the Unified Betting Accounting System went live with mandatory integration through NomadPay. The report says banks cut off deposits and withdrawals for almost every local bookmaker, and tight deadlines left many operators unprepared.
Blask says that while licensed operators struggled to process transactions, many players temporarily moved to unlicensed platforms. That trend reversed after authorities expanded enforcement.
Young working adults dominate the market
According to Blask’s June 2026 customer data, the market remains dominated by younger working adults despite the downturn. Players aged 25-34 account for 38 per cent of respondents, followed by those aged 18-24 and 35-44 at 24 per cent each.
The data show that nearly six in 10 respondents are employed, while the largest income group earns between KZT3.6 million ($7,700) and KZT5.4 million ($11,550) annually.
Traditional sports betting remains the most popular gambling product, used by 62 per cent of respondents, while 71 per cent also participate in lotteries. More than half play slots and instant-win games, and 29 per cent use online casino products.
The report also suggests most gamblers do not exhibit problematic gambling behaviour. Blask found that 78 per cent of respondents were classified as non-problem gamblers, while only 2 per cent met the criteria for problem gambling.
Gambling law and recent amendment
The Central Asian country regulates gambling under the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 219-III “On Gambling,” adopted on 12 January 2007. It was most recently amended on 17 May 2026.
Kazakhstan’s law permits licensed gambling while imposing strict controls over where operators may conduct business, licensing requirements, payment systems and consumer protection.
Recent amendments have expanded oversight of online betting by introducing a unified accounting system, which connects bookmakers and totalisators to a central platform that records bets, processes electronic payments and winnings, stores player information, and monitors unlicensed gambling websites. The law defines the system as software that ensures “the acceptance (implementation) of payments using electronic money,” records each wager and payment, and supports the identification of internet resources operating without a Kazakh licence.
The legislation also requires bookmakers to process electronic bets and winnings through an electronic cash desk linked to the unified accounting system. It defines the electronic cash desk as “a digital system through which bets are accepted (recorded), and payments of winnings are made through a single accounting system that ensures settlements on bets and winnings.”
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