On April 19, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan signed a decree titled “On Measures to Improve the Regulation of the Organization and Conduct of Lotteries and Risk-Based Games in the Republic of Uzbekistan.”
Effective from January 1, 2025, this decree lifts the ban and establishes a legal framework for organizing online risk-based games and betting activities.
Legalizing betting has been a longstanding issue in Uzbekistan. Initially, in December 2019, the president decreed to legalize bookmakers, but this decision was later reversed in April 2022. Subsequently, in April 2023, the head of state directed the development of a regulatory framework for betting activities.
The National Agency for Advanced Projects (NAAP), the authorized state body for regulating and licensing activities in this sector, highlighted the importance of state regulation in the gambling sector to curb illegal operations, safeguard players’ rights, and bolster state revenue.
The president’s decree aims to leverage foreign expertise and modern technologies to regulate risk-based games and lotteries, fostering investment, tourism, and additional revenue streams for the country.
Key provisions of the decree include establishing legal grounds for the legalization of online risk-based games, betting activities, and lotteries, implementing measures to protect citizens’ rights, preventing gambling addiction, and boosting state revenue.
Commencing January 1, 2025, license holders will be subject to a taxation system, requiring them to pay turnover taxes, thereby curbing revenue concealment and bolstering tax revenues for the state.
Overall, the decree seeks to establish a robust legal framework for regulating online risk-based games, betting activities, and lotteries in Uzbekistan, prioritizing citizen welfare, tackling gambling addiction, and augmenting state revenue.