Kazakhstan’s Financial Monitoring Agency has ordered mobile network operators to block suspicious payments linked to illegal online casinos that let users deposit funds...
Kazakhstan cuts 50% of illegal gambling with payment bans
Kazakhstan’s latest payment channel restrictions and telecom blocks have resulted in a 50% decrease in illegal online gambling activity, as reported by data from Blask.
The enforcement action was launched in May 2026, with authorities deciding to change the focus from website accessibility to the systems that help fund accounts on illegal platforms. Blask’s new data revealed that by early June 2026, the measures produced visible results and iGaming activity was cut in half.
According to the report, Kazakhstan’s intervention method allowed the elimination of the main transaction tools used by black market operators, with countries like Uzbekistan and Tajikistan following in the same steps. Both used telecom blocks and recorded 49.5% and 40.5% drops in iGaming activity, respectively.
It’s expected that more jurisdictions will adopt similar measures, as many regulators have already come to the conclusion that targeting companies and services that support illegal operators is more effective than acting directly against the platform itself.
Currently, online casinos are prohibited in Kazakhstan, and only a limited number of licensed sportsbooks are permitted to offer legal online betting. Blask suggests that Kazakhstan’s approach could fully restructure the country’s iGaming market and permanently remove parts of illegal operations instead of just temporarily blocking them.
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