The Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) of Kazakhstan is considering imposing criminal penalties on social media influencers who promote online gambling, as current fines are insufficient to deter violations.
According to the Central Asia Times, so far this year, 34 influencers have been penalized for promoting online casinos and betting services, with 11 receiving administrative fines. However, the regulatory body notes that the income influencers earn from these promotions often exceeds the fines, making voluntary compliance rare.
Officials are assessing whether such promotional activities could be classified as aiding illegal gambling, which would subject violators to criminal legal sanctions similar to those faced by promoters of financial pyramid schemes. Under current Kazakhstani law, promoting financial pyramid activities is already a criminal offense.
In 2024, Kazakhstan enacted laws prohibiting the advertisement of online casinos and betting companies in public places and media. However, the online gambling network remains active, especially on foreign platforms.
Since 2022, the FMA reports that authorities have handled over 200 cases of illegal operations, with 224 individuals held criminally responsible. By 2025, more than 17,000 online links have been blocked, mostly mirror sites of international betting platforms. Some domestic payment services still facilitate related transactions, and the FMA has committed to intensifying investigations into these intermediaries.
The regulatory body emphasizes that as online gambling evolves, law enforcement measures must be continuously upgraded. If criminal penalties are ultimately implemented, it will mark a more stringent law enforcement phase in Kazakhstan's fight against illegal gambling, targeting not only operators but also promoters.
