Kazakhstan Self-Exclusion System Tops 224,000 Active Registrations

Kazakhstan’s gambling self-exclusion system has continued to expand, with authorities reporting that 224,793 registrations remain active out of 463,829 applications filed since the program began in March 2024. The government is now considering further changes to the framework as it moves ahead with broader gambling reforms.

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Self-Exclusion Use Grows

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said applications for voluntary self-exclusion had been submitted through the country’s e-government portal between the launch of the system and June 1 this year. Of the total submitted, about 48% are still active.

The figures show that the self-exclusion mechanism has become a significant part of Kazakhstan’s gambling controls. The system allows individuals to request exclusion from gambling through the state portal, and the latest numbers suggest a steady level of use since it was introduced.

Authorities are now reviewing possible changes to the framework. Those include extending the maximum self-exclusion period to 10 years and introducing administrative penalties for gambling operators that allow excluded individuals to take part in gaming.

Broader Regulatory Changes

These measures are part of an array of reforms that have been implemented in the last 2 years. Gambling has been prohibited in Kazakhstan for specific public servants, military personnel, and police officers, in addition to persons from the list of the country’s debtors.

Additional restrictions have been placed by the authorities on advertisements by bookmakers and totalizators. In addition, gambling-related SMS marketing campaigns have been prohibited under the updated framework.

These measures indicate that the authorities are continuing to reshape the regulated gambling sector through a combination of access controls, advertising restrictions, and enforcement measures. The self-exclusion list is one part of that broader policy direction.

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Illegal Platforms Blocked

Officials also reported progress against illegal online gambling activity. More than 55,000 unauthorised online casino websites have been blocked through the national cyber-monitoring system.

That enforcement effort adds another layer to the country’s gambling restrictions, particularly in the online space where illegal operators can be difficult to monitor. The blocked websites show the scale of the attempt to limit access to unlicensed gambling platforms.

The government’s latest figures place the self-exclusion system and anti-illegal gambling measures side by side as part of a single regulatory push. Together, they point to a strategy that combines consumer exclusion with direct enforcement against unauthorized operators.

Regional Access Limits

Kazakhstan has also introduced new rules that restrict access to casinos, slot machine halls, and betting venues in several regions to foreign visitors only. The rule is another example of how the country is narrowing access to gambling activities under its current policy approach.

In February, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed legislation allowing 4 additional gambling zones, alongside the existing locations in Kapchagay and Burabay. That move expanded the country’s regulated gambling map while the authorities continued to tighten controls in other areas.

The latest self-exclusion figures show that the system remains widely used as Kazakhstan moves forward with its gambling reforms. With more than 224,000 active registrations and further policy changes under review, the government appears set to keep adjusting the sector through both restriction and regulation.

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Source: Focus Gaming News