Kazakhstan to consider regulating bloggers to clamp down on gambling ads

The country is looking at criminal sanctions for the promotion of online gambling.

Kazakhstan.- Senator Gennady Shipovskikh has proposed a licensing framework for bloggers in Kazakhstan in a bid to curb the spread of illicit gambling advertising across social media and messaging platforms. He cited persistent breaches of Kazakhstan’s ban on promoting online gambling.

The ban introduced last year prohibits the promotion of bookmakers, online casinos and betting pools across outdoor media, films and digital content, but authorities have struggled to enforce it. The country’s Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) said it had identified 34 bloggers involved in promoting unauthorised gambling services and that 11 had already been penalised administratively. However, the agency says that fines alone are ineffective and that criminal sanctions are necessary.

During a Senate plenary session, Shipovskikh suggested establishing either a formal licensing system or a national registry of bloggers to monitor promotional activities and enhance legal accountability. He argued that licensing would enable authorities to suspend a blogger’s operations if they breach advertising laws.

He also called for stricter scrutiny of payment processors and advertising firms that he said may be complicit in facilitating illegal gambling. Additionally, he recommended a verification mechanism to assess the legitimacy of sweepstakes and giveaways hosted on social platforms.

According to FMA statistics, 205 unauthorised casinos have been shut down over the past two and a half years, with 224 people facing criminal prosecution as a result. However the agency says that the financial rewards from illegal advertising outweigh the fines imposed.

Following the Senate session, FMA deputy chairman Zhenis Yelemesov reiterated the agency’s intent to pursue criminal charges against those who advertise illegal gambling platforms. He said existing legislation already permits prosecution in cases where bloggers are found to be involved in the operation or profit-sharing of such enterprises.

Kazakhstan wouldn’t be the first country to attempt to regulate blogging. Back in 2014, Russia passed a law requiring bloggers with more than 3,000 readers to register with the media regulator, Roskomnadzor, and conform to the regulations that govern major media outlets.

The gambling sector in Kazakhstan has previously been critical of government moves to gain more control over the industry. Last year, operators in heavily criticised a move to change the regulation of payments for the gambling and fintech sectors and create a Unified Accounting System (UAS).

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The country is looking at criminal sanctions for the promotion of online gambling. Kazakhstan.- Senator Gennady Shipovskikh has proposed a licensing framework for bloggers in Kazakhstan in a bid to…