Kazakhstan officials look to penalize influencers for promoting online casinos
Kazakhstan’s Financial Monitoring Agency has been looking at new ways to penalize influencers for promoting online gambling platforms, saying that fines are not enough to punish repeat offenders.
The agency warns that offshore gambling operators remain a primary threat in Kazakhstan. Despite authorities blocking over 17,000 links to online platforms, some payment providers in the country still offer services to offshore operators.
Influencer marketing is another big problem. From the beginning of the year, authorities have arrested 34 bloggers found to be promoting online casino platforms. Only 11 were fined.
Currently, fines start at KZT200,000, which the agency claims is insufficient. Revenue gained from promoting online gambling sites far exceeds the cost of the fine.
To combat this, the agency is looking at whether promoting online casinos falls under aiding and abetting illegal gambling, which carries criminal penalties.
In 2024, Kazakhstan lawmakers passed legislation prohibiting the promotion of online casinos, sportsbooks, and betting pools from appearing outside and in any type of media content. Since then, the agency has reported that it has cracked down on over 200 illegal operations, as well as charged 224 individuals.
Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
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