Residents of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s biggest urban settlement, have criticised the government’s plan to build a new casino on the outskirts of the city.
The government hopes to break ground on the project next year, the Kazakhstan-based TV broadcaster KTK reported. Plans for the complex also include a hotel, a racetrack, and over 1,500 villas and cottages. State officials say construction will be completed in November 2028.
The casino will admit only foreign-passport holders, with financing to be provided by private-sector investors.
The government wants to build the new complex in the mountainous resort of Ak-Bulak, in Talgar, some 25km from central Almaty.
The area is already home to a smaller resort and a golf course.
“A lot of people are getting involved in casinos and gambling nowadays, especially children,” a male resident told the broadcaster. “If they build a casino here, we’d have a huge influx of people. It’s not acceptable.”
Almaty Casino: Lack of Public Support
“It would be better to build sports centers for children, to create places where young people could gain knowledge and develop as people,” an elderly female resident told the same broadcaster. “That would be much more important for us. I don’t support the idea of building a casino.”
“It’s all gambling, it’s all leading to gambling addiction,” a younger female resident told KTZ. “And I really wouldn’t want our teenagers, our younger residents, to get involved in that.”
However, government officials have countered that casino operators will conduct strict ID checks to ensure that no domestic-passport holders can use the casino.
The officials say that non-compliant casino operators will be fined or face license revocation.
And while residents appear opposed to the casino project, local business groups say it will create jobs and attract investment.
Existing shops, cafes, and hotels will all benefit from new revenue streams, the groups said.
“When some visitors come to the casino, they will find staying at the casino hotel is too expensive and will choose another hotel instead,” said Zhanybek Aigazin, the General Director of the financial services firm Applied Economics Research Center. “The same goes for food and restaurants.”
Aigazin said local transport networks, agricultural producers, and other businesses would also stand to benefit.
Urban Focus for New Casinos
Kazakhstan is already home to several casinos for foreign-passport holders only. But these are mainly based far away from major regional centers, in more remote holiday resorts.
The government wants to change that in the years ahead, green-lighting new casinos closer to major cities.
Government officials say the casinos will provide the country with a major economic boost. Each new casino could eventually contribute about $6 million in tax revenue every year, they say.
Online Casino Popularity Threatens Land-Based Firms
While the government continues to trumpet its new construction plans, data suggests that land-based casinos are losing out to digital competition.
The country’s online betting market shot up by 965% last year, with residents staking a total of $786 million.
That means online gambling now accounts for about two-thirds of the Kazakh betting market, up from just 6% in 2024.
Meanwhile, land-based casino revenues fell by over 16% to $53 million, with slot machine receipts tumbling 17% to just over $9 million.
The new government plans also involve allowing casino operators to set up shop in Alatau, a deregulated city designed to attract foreign businesses and crypto companies.
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Residents of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s biggest urban settlement, have criticised the government’s plan to build a new casino on the outskirts of the city. The government hopes to break ground on the project next year, the Kazakhstan-based TV broadcaster KTK reported. Plans for the complex also include a hotel, a racetrack, and over 1,500 villas and
The post Almaty Residents Hit Out at Kazakhstan Government’s New Casino Construction Plan appeared first on CasinoBeats.