Kazakhstan Establishes Four New Casino Zones to Attract Foreign Tourists

(AsiaGameHub) –   Lawmakers in Kazakhstan are looking to attract foreign visitors by launching four new casino zones.

Per the new regulation, these zones will be situated in well-known tourist destinations. They include the Mangistau region along the Caspian Sea coast, Paniflov District and the shores of Lake Alakol in Almaty region’s Talgar District, as well as the Marakol Area and Zaisan District.

Per reporting from Qazinform News Agency, the amendment to the ‘On Gambling Business’ law has been signed off by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

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

In contrast to the already established zones, which welcome both Kazakh citizens and foreign visitors, these four new areas will only be accessible to overseas travelers.

According to Kazakhstan’s government, over 15.7 million foreign nationals visited the country in the first nine months of 2025, including many visitors from both Russia and China.

Baurzhan Rapikov, the country’s Deputy Minister of Tourism and Sports, stated that he expects each new casino will create 500 jobs and generate annual tax revenue ranging from 2bn to 4bn tenge (£3.1m to £6.2m).

This decision to limit gambling to specific zones aligns with existing legislation in Russia, where casino and slot machine operations are restricted to four designated areas.

Restricting access solely to foreign citizens also echoes policies implemented in numerous countries across the world.

In South Korea, local citizens are limited to just one casino, with all remaining venues exclusively for foreign visitors.

Meanwhile, in Malaysia and Singapore, local gamblers face strict entry requirements and are required to pay an admission fee.