Uzbekistan has officially introduced fines for violations of the law on lotteries and other risk-based games. These penalties are outlined in a directive issued by the Director of the National Agency for Perspective Projects (NAPP) and will take effect on October 9.

Administrative sanctions will apply to both resident organizers of online games, lotteries, and betting activities, as well as to foreign legal entities that illegally offer such services to Uzbek citizens.

Foreign companies that organize online gambling, lotteries, or betting in Uzbekistan without a license will face fines of 25,000 base calculation units (BCUs), equivalent to approximately 10.3 billion Uzbek soums (approximately $813,000). The same fine applies to opening casinos, stationary or mobile gaming halls, and other gambling venues.

For violations of laws related to anti-money laundering and improper handling of personal data, organizers will be fined 15,000 BCUs, equivalent to approximately 6.18 billion soums (around $490,000).

Accepting funds for participation in illegal gambling, the purchase of lottery tickets, or the placement of bets will result in a fine of 10,000 BCU, equivalent to approximately 4.12 billion soums ($326,000). The same penalty applies to violations of advertising regulations in the gambling and betting sectors.

Fines for other types of violations are calculated as a percentage of the minimum charter capital (MCC) required for gambling companies. Organizers can be fined for up to 35 types of violations, including:

• Lack of a license
• Operating through foreign servers
• Involving minors in gambling
• Using the words “state” or “national” in names
• Violating data storage rules, among others.

However, the total fine cannot exceed 1% of the minimum charter capital.
According to licensing requirements:

• Organizers of online gambling and betting must have a charter capital of at least 56.25 billion soums (150,000 BCUs or $4.5 million).
• For lotteries, the minimum is 20.62 billion soums (55,000 BCUs or $1.6 million).

A reserve fund is also required:

• 25.5 billion soums (75,000 BCUs or $2 million) for gambling
• 13.6 billion soums (40,000 BCUs or $1.08 million) for lotteries.

All financial transactions must be conducted through the Unified State Register of Bets and Players (USRBP), which will include a list of players, restrictions, financial transactions, and prize payouts. The NAPP will be authorized to set monthly spending limits for players.

Fifty percent of the collected fines will be allocated to the state budget, and the remaining fifty percent will be transferred to the NAPP’s accounts in a commercial bank. The directive also clarifies that paying the fine does not exempt violators from other legal responsibilities.

When deciding whether to impose a fine, the agency will consider:

• Frequency and duration of the violations
• Impact on players’ financial well-being
• Likelihood of correcting the violations as a result of the fine
• Causes of the identified issues
• Effectiveness of previously applied enforcement measures

The Director of the Agency imposes fines based on conclusions from a working commission on sanctions. A copy of the decision is sent to violators in writing within three working days, specifying the amount, payment deadline (15 days), and payment details.

Organizers of online games, lotteries, and betting, as well as foreign entities, have the right to appeal the fine within 15 days of receiving the decision. Appeals can be submitted to the agency’s Appellate Council or through judicial channels.

Finally, the agency has also been granted the authority to publish information about violators and the measures taken in the media.

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