Lawmakers in Kazakhstan plan to attract foreign tourists by establishing four new casino zones.

Under the new regulation, these zones will be located in popular tourist destinations: the Mangistau region on the Caspian Sea coast, Panfilov District and the shores of Lake Alakol, Talgar District in the Almaty region, and the Markakol area and Zaisan District.

According to Qazinform News Agency, the amendment to the law “On the Organization and Conduct of Gambling Activities” was signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

This will bring the total number of such zones to six, adding to the existing zones in the city of Konaev in the Almaty region and the Shchuchinsk-Borovoye resort area in the Akmola region.

Unlike the existing regions, which are open to both Kazakh citizens and foreigners, the four new zones will be accessible exclusively to foreign tourists.

According to the government of Kazakhstan, more than 15.7 million foreign tourists visited the country in the first nine months of 2025, including a significant number from Russia and China.

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Tourism and Sports, Baurzhan Rapikov, stated that each new casino is expected to create around 500 jobs and generate annual tax revenue of 2 to 4 billion tenge (approximately $4–8 million).

The restriction of gambling to specific zones mirrors the approach in Russia, where casinos and slot machines are permitted only in four regions.

Focusing solely on foreign visitors is also a practice seen in several other countries.

In South Korea, citizens can only access one casino, while the others are exclusively for foreign tourists.

In Malaysia and Singapore, local players face strict entry rules and are required to pay an entrance fee.

 

 

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