President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a decree that will end a 17-year ban on gambling.

Uzbekistan.- President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a decree to launch regulated gambling in Uzbekistan in 2025. The move would end the ban on gambling imposed by the then president Islam Karimov in 2007.

The decree outlines the establishment of a regulatory framework for online gambling, sports betting and lotteries from January 1, 2025. The market will be open to all residents and non-residents aged over 18.

The Prospective Projects National Agency (NAPP) will oversee the development and will be responsible for issuing licences and monitoring market activity. It will work with the Department for Combating Economic Crimes to revise AML measures.

Operators will be taxed at 4 per cent of revenue after deducting winnings and refunded stakes. Customer winnings will be exempt from income tax.

However, plans to re-regulate gambling have stalled in the past. A proposal to launch sports betting came to a standstill, with Mirziyoyev eventually withdrawing his support after no agreement was reached which government department would oversee the modernisation of sports and athlete development programmes that the market was intended to finance. However, football and sports clubs have been allowed to accept sponsorship from foreign betting companies.