On July 8, 2024, the President of the country signed the law "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on gambling, lottery activities, health protection, State Labor Inspectorate, State Control and exclusion of excessive legislative regulation", which entered into force on September 9 this year.
This law introduces a number of restrictive and stimulating norms aimed at reducing the gambling addiction of the population. In particular, the list of persons who are prohibited from participating in gambling/betting, who are in the unified register of debtors, has been expanded. These include persons holding a responsible public position, authorized to perform public functions, persons equated to them through the introduction of anti-corruption restrictions in the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Combating Corruption".
The mechanisms for regulating the activities of gambling business organizers have been tightened. Advertising of bookmakers and sweepstakes is limited.
The mechanisms for regulating lottery activities have been updated.
A ban has been imposed on the distribution of lottery tickets and the installation of lottery terminals in residential buildings, dormitories, religious buildings, buildings and structures of cultural organizations, as well as in social facilities (education, healthcare), including within a radius of one hundred meters from them. Criminal liability has been introduced for the organization of an online casino.
The Code of Ethics of Civil Servants has been supplemented by the standard of official ethics on refraining from visiting gambling establishments by civil servants. (additions were made by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 02.11.2023).
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called gambling one of the five social evils.
Currently, gambling addiction is one of the most serious public mental health problems worldwide. Gambling and gambling behavior, including gambling, ludomania, are common in countries with a high level of accessibility of gaming establishments and online gambling platforms, online casinos, etc.
Gambling, ludomania – consists in frequent repeated episodes of gambling, which dominates the life of the subject and leads to a decrease in social, professional, material and family values, due attention is not paid to responsibilities in this area.
WHO considers gambling and ludomania to be an epidemic problem. Most often, gambling addiction affects people between the ages of 20 and 30. Of these, a large proportion are students. At the same time, prevention begins in the family and requires the joint efforts of the whole society in combating this addiction.
Head of the State Institution "Akim's Office
Zhaksyn district of Akmola region",
Ethics Commissioner
O. Bocharnikova