Uzbekistan’s gambling culture is defined by tension between conservative, religiously informed disapproval and a recent pragmatic embrace of regulation. Gambling was banned (except lotteries) from September 2007 under President Islam Karimov, and that prohibition held for well over a decade. In 2024-2025 the government reversed course, legalising online gambling, betting and lotteries under the National Agency for Prospective Projects (NAPP), with the regulated market opening from October 2025.

A short history

Uzbekistan tightened its stance on gambling over time: land-based casinos were prohibited in the late 1990s, and on 1 September 2007 a presidential decree banned the remaining gambling games except lotteries, instant lotteries and digital lotteries. The Criminal and Administrative Codes were amended to penalise both organisers and participants, effectively closing the industry. The stated motives were to reduce gambling addiction and social harm, aligning with the country’s conservative social norms.

The long prohibition ended gradually. After years of debate, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s government approved a new legal framework: a presidential decree in April 2024 permitted online gambling and bookmaking from 1 January 2025, and the Cabinet of Ministers adopted licensing rules in December 2024, with the regulated market opening later in 2025.

Attitudes and religion

Uzbekistan is a majority-Muslim country, and gambling is widely regarded through a religious and cultural lens as a vice. Those attitudes underpinned the long ban. The new regime is deliberately framed as strict, control-first regulation, with high capital thresholds, mandatory player registration and addiction safeguards, rather than a liberal opening of the market.

For years, state and instant lotteries were the only legal form of play and remain culturally familiar. With legalisation, sports betting, particularly on football and major international events, is expected to be a leading segment, alongside online casino games offered by newly licensed operators. Physical casinos and slot halls remain prohibited.

The new operator landscape

Historically, the only legal operators were state lottery providers. Under the 2025 framework, NAPP grants five-year licences to online gambling, betting and lottery operators that satisfy demanding requirements, including authorised capital of about 56.25 billion soums for gambling and betting platforms, use of the national internet domain, certified software, and integration with the Unified State Register of Bets and Players. As a result, a licensed local operator sector is only now taking shape.

Bottom line

Uzbekistan’s gambling story is one of prohibition giving way to tightly controlled legalisation. Cultural and religious reservations remain strong, and the state has built its new market around strict oversight rather than free-market expansion.

18+ only. Gambling can be addictive. Please play responsibly.

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