The central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan has voted to approve a bill that will re-legalize land-based gaming and, for the first time in its history, legalize online gambling. But there’s a catch.
Casinos, slot halls, and retail bookmakers will all be relegalized, however, the Kyrgyz people are not able to play, as all offerings will only be available to foreign players. The bill “On Gambling in the Kyrgyz Republic” outlines a lot of restrictions for land-based and online casinos if the bill is to be passed into law.
Casinos were banned across the country in 2012 and slot halls and bookmakers soon followed suit in 2015, whereas online gambling has been outlawed since its conception.
What are these restrictions?
The bill outlines that land-based casinos can only be set up in restaurants with over 100 seats and hotels with over 20 rooms. However, slot halls have to be set up in their own buildings, separate from any other business activity.
The bill also outlines restrictions for casinos in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, in particular. Casinos must have at least 10 gaming tables, whereas, elsewhere in the country the requirement is only five. Slot halls must contain at least 30 machines and every machine must have a return to player, or RTP, of at least 75% across the country.
A body is to be set up by the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers to enforce these regulations, which also include license fees, security measures, and the currency exchange bureau licensed by the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan.
