Parliament of Kyrgyzstan submits legalization of gambling business for public discussion

According to the official portal of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan, from January 25, amendments to the laws regulating gambling are being submitted for public discussion in the country. In particular, amendments are proposed to the Law “On a specialized administrative region on the territory of the Issyk-Kul region, including a tourist and entertainment complex” and the Law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Kyrgyz Republic on Issues of Gambling”. In an explanatory note, the authors of the bills note that the ban on gambling activities in the country, introduced in 2012, led to annual budget losses of 600 million soms and the closure of 11,000 jobs. The deputies propose to open a casino for foreigners near the Manas airport. It should be noted that 2017 was the most crucial year for the gambling industry in Kyrgyzstan. It was then that the authorities of the country went on easing: the Parliament adopted a law on the state monopoly of lotteries. And, five years after the ban was introduced, a national lottery appeared in Kyrgyzstan. In general, the issue of legalizing gambling in Kyrgyzstan is perceived ambiguously by the authorities and society. As previously reported, the Government of Kyrgyzstan took the initiative to completely ban advertising of gambling or companies providing gambling services.