President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov said that the law legalizing casinos, adopted four years ago, has proven its economic effectiveness. According to him, gambling establishments, which are accessible exclusively to foreign citizens, contribute to the state budget and help create new jobs.

“The casino law is one of the decisions made based on our political will. There is nothing objectionable for the state in this. This decision was not made in anyone’s personal interests. Time has shown that it was the right one. At the time of its adoption, there were concerns that citizens of Kyrgyzstan would start visiting casinos, leading to ruined lives. However, during all this time, not a single case of Kyrgyz citizens visiting casinos has been recorded,” Japarov said.

He noted that when developing the law, Kyrgyz authorities focused on tourists and affluent citizens from neighboring countries.

“Today, wealthy foreigners leave their money in Kyrgyzstan, while jobs are being created for our citizens. Thousands of our compatriots who previously worked, for example, in Cyprus, are returning and working in their homeland,” Japarov noted.

“Casinos generate revenue for the budget, while our citizens do not suffer losses — this is the key result… We have achieved a balance: the millions that our wealthy citizens previously lost abroad are now offset by funds lost by foreigners in Kyrgyzstan. Money returns to the country through tourism — that was our main goal,” he added.

Since 2012, casinos have been banned in Kyrgyzstan, while betting shops and totalizators have been prohibited since 2015. The decision was made following numerous appeals and protests from relatives of people who had lost property and savings. However, at the end of June 2022, President Sadyr Japarov signed the Law on Gambling Activities, which re-legalized gambling establishments. The law prohibits access to gambling venues for Kyrgyz citizens as well as foreign nationals under the age of 21.

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