In Uzbekistan, betting offices were permitted until 2005. However, from September 1, 2007, the organization and conduct of gambling and other risk-based games (including totalizators) were prohibited, with the exception of draw, instant, and numerical lotteries. Following the ban, amendments were made to the Criminal and Administrative Codes, establishing liability for organizing and participating in games.
Spot has examined how the country's policies in this area have evolved and why the decision was made to legalize.
November 14, 2019
The Ministry of Sports Development presented a draft presidential decree on measures to elevate the development of football in Uzbekistan to a new level. It was proposed that from January 1, 2021, betting activities would be legalized in the country. The project aimed to enhance the attractiveness of sports, particularly football, which was expected to lead to the influx of additional funds.
December 5, 2019
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree "On Measures to Elevate the Development of Football in Uzbekistan to a Completely New Stage," which permitted the conduct of betting activities from January 1, 2021, through obtaining a license from the Capital Market Development Agency. By June 1, 2020, amendments were to be made to the legislation regulating online betting services, implementing state control in the sector. Part of the revenue from bookmakers was to be directed towards sports development.
December 12, 2019
The head of the press service of the Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA), Davron Faiziev, stated that the legalization of betting offices would help attract funds to Uzbekistan's sports sector.
February 26, 2020
Aziz Abduhakimov, who was then Deputy Prime Minister, noted that Uzbekistan was losing about $50 million in potential profits due to the ban on betting organizations within the country. According to him, many players travel to other countries or spend money on foreign platforms:
July 7, 2020
Spot discovered that during the quarantine, interest in applications and platforms of betting organizations significantly increased in Uzbekistan. For instance, the 1xbet app entered the top 30 most downloaded apps for iOS in Uzbekistan for the first time, and the number of search queries for 'bukmeker' in Yandex surged.
January 7, 2021
From January 1, 2021, betting activities were formally permitted in Uzbekistan through obtaining a license from the Capital Market Development Agency (ARPK). However, by that time, amendments had still not been made to the law. Dmitry Sergeev, CEO of Parimatch for the CIS, highlighted the potential of the Uzbek market due to its large population, but the entry of bookmakers was delayed due to uncertainty regarding legalization.
January 15, 2021
Legal advisor of the Uzbekistan Football Association Dilshod Narkobilov discussed two options for collecting funds from bookmakers: companies would allocate a certain amount from their revenues or this amount would be deducted from their taxes.
February 23, 2021
Foreign betting offices found alternative ways to adapt their operations in Uzbekistan. Monitoring revealed that they began accepting payments from local bank cards Uzcard and HUMO. This involved p2p transfers, where players would send money to a local representative of the office, who would credit it to their account. In payment service statistics, this is recorded as a simple transfer between two cards.
March 18, 2021
Intermediaries of foreign betting offices even began offering their services offline through outdoor advertising. The number of "exchange offices" — services for depositing and withdrawing money from betting offices without support from local payment systems — grew, including bots, Telegram groups, and .com websites. Additionally, bookmakers translated their websites into Uzbek and launched local support services available in several languages and through various channels.
May 20, 2021
The bookmaker company "Fonbet" aimed to enter the Uzbek market and open an office in Tashkent. The company posted a vacancy for CEO/Country Manager in the country and began recruiting other personnel through the hh.uz platform.
April 6, 2022
The President signed a decree canceling the legalization of betting organizations within Uzbekistan. The document excluded norms established by an earlier decree from the head of state: support for Uzbek football and changes to the legal framework by state bodies for regulating the activities of bookmakers.
May 30, 2022
The head of the Cybersecurity Center of the Operational Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Behzod Mamadjanov, commented on the futility of blocking betting websites, as most of them are located on foreign servers, making it impossible to physically prevent their operation. According to him, global revenues from online bookmakers and other gambling providers are estimated at $54 billion.
November 11, 2022
The Ministry of Justice prepared a draft law that envisaged strengthening responsibility for participation, organization, and advertising of gambling. The creation, import, advertising, and distribution of products promoting gambling would be equated to their organization (Article 278 of the Criminal Code). Punishment could be up to 7 years of imprisonment, with a repeat offense or involvement in an organized group leading to a maximum of 10 years.
April 8, 2023
The head of state signed a decree on the development of mass and professional football, which stipulated that a working group consisting of representatives from the ministries of youth policy and sports, digital technologies, economy and finance, as well as the Ministry of Justice and the Football Association should develop proposals for conducting betting activities. By the end of 2023, the group was to submit proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers.
December 1, 2023
The National Agency for Prospective Projects (NAPP) became responsible for regulating lotteries and bookmakers instead of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. NAPP was granted the authority to send requests for blocking websites that facilitate illegal participation in gambling and capital movement operations.
February 6, 2024
NAPP began developing regulations for betting offices, lotteries, and casinos. There were legal conflicts in the area of betting offices and lotteries that NAPP planned to resolve.
April 19, 2024
The President signed a decree stating that from January 1, 2025, betting organizations would be legalized in Uzbekistan. Legal entities organizing betting games would be required to pay a turnover tax at a rate of 4% for 5 years. This percentage would be levied on their total income from gambling activities after deducting all winnings paid and refunded bets. Citizens receiving winnings from bookmakers would be exempt from paying income tax.
April 27, 2024
The National Agency for Prospective Projects explained the legalization of betting offices. The ban on gambling business had negative consequences for Uzbekistan: the country was "losing" $1 billion annually, and there were no mechanisms to protect individuals with gambling addictions from participating in games, nor to prevent