Online poker is illegal in Kazakhstan under current gambling legislation. The country's gambling laws expressly prohibit online casinos, including online poker, slots and other casino games. The only permitted forms of online gambling are sports betting and totalisators related to live events, and these require operators to maintain at least one licensed land-based premises (1).
Land-based poker may be offered in licensed casinos located exclusively within two designated gambling zones in Kazakhstan. According to the Law on Gambling Business of 2007, casinos can only operate in special economic zones in the Almaty region and Burabay district of the Akmola region. Opening gambling establishments outside these designated regions is criminally punishable under Article 269-1 of the Criminal Code (2).
"The current online gambling landscape in Kazakhstan can be characterised as follows: online casinos including online slots and poker are prohibited; online sports betting and totalisators are permitted, with an obligatory offline presence."
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, through the Regulator, serves as the key gambling regulatory authority in Kazakhstan. Recent amendments to gambling legislation took effect in September 2024, establishing stricter penalties for electronic and online casino operators. The government has pursued aggressive enforcement actions, filing over 100 legal cases in 2024 and blocking thousands of illegal gambling websites. Licensed operators must comply with anti-money laundering requirements and maintain servers located within Kazakhstan territory (1).
Source:
https://practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/gaming-law-2024/kazakhstan
https://lawrange.net/en/services/obtaining-a-gambling-license-in-kazakhstan/
Last updated: 04-10-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
