The government of Curaçao will assist Kazakhstan in combating illegal offshore online casinos

Kazakhstan and Curaçao have agreed on a joint plan of action to prevent illegal online casino activity in Kazakhstan.

A negotiation via videoconference (Zoom) was held in Astana between Vice-Minister of Culture and Sports of Kazakhstan, Erzhan Erkinbayev and Minister of Finance of Curaçao, Javier Silvania, where the sides discussed the issue of combating illegal online casino activity. A negotiation was organized with the assistance of the head of the Association of Bookmakers of Kazakhstan - Galymzhan Duambekov.

"In Kazakhstan, the gambling industry is divided into four licensed types of activity - offline casinos, slot machine halls, bookmakers, and totalizers. Online casino activity is prohibited by law in Kazakhstan. However, despite this, a large number of illegal online casinos are operating on the territory of Kazakhstan. Some online casinos refer to their activity under the license of Curaçao, which does not apply to the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan," said Erzhan Erkinbayev.

"I do not consider this only your problem, it is also our problem - a common problem. We are facing exactly the same task - to fight against the illegal activity of various business entities under the cover of our jurisdiction. We will not watch quietly as these companies violate the law, using our jurisdiction," said Javier Silvania.

After constructive negotiations and discussions of practical aspects of countering illegal business, the parties reached a common understanding of the need for close cooperation in the fight against illegal online casino activity in Kazakhstan. It was noted that the agreements reached would contribute to strengthening the legality and fairness in the gambling industry of Kazakhstan.

As part of the agreements, both sides expressed their intention to develop and sign a memorandum of understanding, which will contribute to effective exchange of information and data on issues of combating illegal business structures under the cover of Curaçao jurisdiction on the territory of Kazakhstan. In addition, representatives of the ministries of both countries plan to exchange experience and best practices in the regulation of the gambling industry.