EGR has partnered with 4H Agency to bring its readers a series of long-form articles on the requirements and key facts and figures for a host of emerging markets throughout the world.
Tapping into 4H’s talent pool of experts, the articles will outline the regulatory framework and entry requirements for interested parties, as well as an insider’s view on how the market could shape up in the coming years.
Here, the series continues with Uzbekistan, with commentary from 4H partner and head of consulting department, Ivan Kurochkin.
Market overview
Uzbekistan is one of the largest countries in Central Asia, with a developing economy and an increasingly active role of the state in regulating digital and financial sectors. While most forms of gambling have historically been prohibited, the government initiated a gradual liberalisation of the online gambling sector in 2025 by introducing a legal framework for online operations. However, despite formal legalisation, the market remains effectively unopened, as the licensing system has not yet been fully implemented and no operators have officially entered the market.
As a result, Uzbekistan’s gambling industry is currently characterised by legal uncertainty. Demand for online gambling continues to exist and is largely directed toward offshore platforms, although overall market volume remains relatively limited due to economic factors, low purchasing power and the absence of established local infrastructure. At the same time, the country’s young and mobile-oriented population creates long-term potential for digital gambling products once the regulatory framework becomes operational.
Uzbekistan has a GDP of approximately $115bn and GDP per capita of around $3,161. According to 4H methodology calculations, the estimated gambling market size in terms of GGR amounts to approximately ~$100.3m. However, given the current transitional stage of regulation and the lack of licensed local operators, a significant portion of gambling activity is believed to remain offshore.
Regulations
Since 2025, Uzbekistan has formally introduced a regulated online gambling model based exclusively on online licensing (except for lotteries, which are also land-based). The Uzbek regulatory framework currently provides the following types of licences:
- Online casino.
- Online sports betting.
- Lottery.
Peer-to-peer gambling formats, including poker and totalizator-style games, are not directly regulated under the current framework. In practice, the legislation is structured around gambling models where the licensed operator is directly involved in organising and managing player participation, which creates uncertainty regarding the legality and licensing treatment of pure P2P formats.
Licence requirements
Under the Uzbek gambling framework, operators are prohibited from:
- Establishing land-based or mobile gambling venues, casinos, or other facilities involving the direct physical presence or participation of players.
- Accepting bets on non-professional or unofficial events held in Uzbekistan involving Uzbek citizens, as well as on children’s or youth sporting events. The only exception applies to officially recognised sports and international events conducted with spectators and organised in accordance with the requirements of international sports federations regarding organisation, supervision and officiating standards.
In general terms of compliance with a licence, operators are required to:
- Maintain fully paid-up share capital corresponding to the relevant licence type. Borrowed funds, pledged assets, encumbered property, or funds derived from criminal activity may not be used for the formation of such capital.
- Establish a reserve fund on a dedicated account designated by the regulator and provide either a bank guarantee or an insurance policy issued by an authorised insurance company in the amount of the reserve fund.
- Ensure that all gambling-related payments are conducted exclusively in electronic form.
Furthermore, it is important to note, that in Uzbekistan a gambling activity is considered to be operated in Uzbekistan if at least two of the following criteria are met:
- The player is a citizen of Uzbekistan or is physically located in Uzbekistan.
- The gambling activity is technically operated from Uzbekistan (e.g. server infrastructure).
- The player uses an Uzbek IP address.
- The player uses an Uzbek phone number.
- The player uses a bank card issued in Uzbekistan.
- The gambling website or service is displayed, promoted, or advertised in the Uzbek language.
Licence cost and term
Gambling licences are issued for five years. Operators shall comply with following financial obligations in order to receive and maintain a licence:
- Minimum share capital in amount of ~$5,093,700.
- Guarantee fund in amount of ~$2,550,000.
- Licence fee in amount of ~$17,000.
Taxation
As per gambling taxation, there is only one tax – 4% on GGR for any online operator.
Additionally, Uzbekistan also has general taxation framework applicable for local companies:
- 15% income tax.
- 12% VAT.
- 6-20% withholding tax.
Responsible gambling and AML
In terms of responsible gambling, operators are required to:
- Conduct mandatory player identification and identity verification before allowing participation in gambling activities.
- Adopt and maintain internal policies governing player identification and verification procedures.
- Allow participation only for individuals aged 18 or older.
- Prevent access by minors, restricted individuals, prohibited categories of persons, and self-excluded players.
- Verify players against the national register of prohibited participants.
- Provide players with the possibility of voluntary self-exclusion.
- Synchronise player data with the state self-exclusion register.
Additionally, operators must ensure player identification through the following methods:
- Verification of identity based on a photo of an identity document, player photo or video verification, mobile phone number, and confirmation code sent to the player’s email address.
- Real-time automated verification through state information systems without human involvement.
If information about the player is unavailable in the centralised databases of Uzbekistan, the operator may conduct an online video conference with the player for additional identity verification purposes.
For AML/CFT compliance purposes, operators must ensure that all gambling-related transactions pass through AML monitoring systems and that information regarding suspicious transactions is transmitted, processed and recorded through financial institutions.
When processing payment transactions, operators are required to use the integrated register of bets and players.
There is also a bad actor clause: individuals are prohibited from managing a gambling operator, holding ownership interests, or acting as chief accountant of the operator if such person:
- Is connected to terrorism or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
- Is suspected of or connected to economic crimes, money laundering, corruption, drug-related offenses or cybercrime.
- Has an outstanding criminal conviction.
- Managed a company whose licence was revoked or suspended due to that person’s actions within the previous three years.
- Served as a director or manager of a company declared bankrupt within the previous two years.
In Uzbekistan, despite recent legalisation of online gambling and establishment of licensing regulation, any advertising of gambling, regardless of the form of promotion and type of gambling, is prohibited.
Market specifics for entry
Uzbekistan currently represents a market with formal legalisation but without a functioning regulated ecosystem. The situation has persisted for several years. Initial legalisation efforts began in 2019, when gambling regulation was first proposed under a presidential initiative related to sports development, with responsibility assigned to the former Capital Market Development Agency to prepare betting regulations. Since then, regulatory authority has repeatedly shifted between different state bodies, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Sports and subsequently the newly designated regulator. However, none of these previous institutional changes has resulted in the full launch of the market, which happened on paper in 2025.
Though again, despite the existence of a formal regulatory framework, the practical application of gambling regulation in Uzbekistan remains uncertain. As of May 2026, no licences have been issued, and there is still no established regulatory or compliance practice allowing operators to assess how strict, detailed or commercially workable the licensing regime will be once the market becomes operational.
As a result, market entry into Uzbekistan remains largely theoretical at this stage. While long-term potential exists due to the country’s population size, mobile-oriented audience and currently underserved demand, operators must account for significant regulatory uncertainty, unclear implementation timelines and the absence of tested licensing procedures or enforcement practice.
The 4H view
Uzbekistan’s gambling market is legally structured, but the actual issuance of licences continues to be delayed. As a result, any market entry strategy should be built without reliance on short-term launch expectations. Entering Uzbekistan currently only makes sense for operators prepared for a lengthy preparatory phase and potential postponements regarding the practical opening of the market – Uzbekistan should be viewed primarily as an emerging white market that has not yet become operational in practice.
Though it shall be noted that Uzbekistan clearly deserves attention as a market that is often underestimated due to regulatory complexity and the absence of implementation practice. The country combines a large population, strong long-term commercial potential and an already established grey market with visible activity from major offshore operators.
Compared to several neighboring jurisdictions with smaller scale or more restrictive market conditions, Uzbekistan appears significantly larger and strategically more attractive. Enforcement currently remains relatively moderate, which, combined with the market’s size and digital-oriented audience, makes Uzbekistan one of the most interesting developing gambling jurisdictions in the region.
The post The 4H View: Everything you need to know about Uzbekistan first appeared on EGR Intel.
EGR’s partner 4H Agency delivers its monthly insight into regulated markets’ key requirements. This month, Uzbekistan is in the spotlight
The post The 4H View: Everything you need to know about Uzbekistan first appeared on EGR Intel.