Top-rated Online gambling sites in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is a country found in Central Asia. Formerly a part of the Chinese Republic, the Chinese handed over this Asian nation to the Russian Empire in the 1800s. It joined the USSR in the 20th century as Russian territory. The fall of communism in the USSR saw Kyrgyzstan gain independence from the Russians. However, Russian influences are still present in the country.

Kyrgyzstan is famous for its untouched beauty with impressive ranges and flowered valleys. It was largely inhabited by the Kyrgyz people, originally from Turkey.

The nation is largely Islamic, with Muslims accounting for up to 75% of the population, while the remaining 25% are Russian Orthodox. Considering that most of the people are Muslims, it is understood that gambling remains a controversial topic.

History of gambling in KyrgyzstanAre casinos legal in Kyrgyzstan?Kyrgyz players' favorite gamesPayment methods in Kyrgyzstan
History of gambling in Kyrgyzstan

History of gambling in Kyrgyzstan

Gambling practices are etched in Kyrgyzstan's history. Immediately after independence, there was a steady increase in the number of casinos and betting outlets. This culture ended in 2012, following legislation that declared all forms of gambling in the country illegal.

However, the Kyrgyzstan authorities took a different route that saw some forms of gambling allowed to open in designated areas. This was a similar move to that made in Russia a few years before. Unfortunately, Kyrgyzstan laws and procedures were found lacking, and this ultimately led to failed approvals.

There has always been legislation directed towards curbing gambling. Early efforts undoubtedly failed to achieve the objective. For instance, 2012's anti-gambling laws were meant to regulate gambling, but corruption and poor enforcement saw the number of illegal casinos and bookmakers double in a year.

Following these developments, some legislators introduced a bill to legalize gambling again, citing economic reasons, but this only saw the legalization of sports betting. When it comes to online gambling today, residents can only place wagers on foreign-based gambling websites.

Gambling nowadays in Kyrgyzstan

It was noting that past attempts to ban all forms of gambling did not bear significant results. The major change being that land-based casino players shifted their focus to online gaming. Kyrgyzstan's players have many options to choose from as far as choosing an online casino goes.

However, most punters are not lucky to find a casino that is available in the Kyrgyz language. Since few casinos support this language, Kyrgyzstan players are forced to look for casinos that support the language they might be comfortable with, such as Russian, or bank their hopes of the 'browser translation' feature that is often found to be lacking.

The popularity of online gambling in Kyrgyzstan has seen quite many online casinos open their doors to Kyrgyzstan players. Playing at a casino that accepts Kyrgyzstan punters essentially means that they do not have to worry about the burden of paying exorbitant exchange rates.

Players who use casinos that do not support the Kyrgyz Som, the official currency, opt to use e-wallets to minimize the frequency of applying for exchange at the casino. Notably, the fact that betting is not legal in this country means that players do not have to worry about the burden of paying taxes on their winnings.

Future of online casinos in Kyrgyzstan

From the onset, it has been clear that societal and religious beliefs played a massive role in banning all gambling forms in Kyrgyzstan.

From the look of things, the sole purpose of coming up with this anti-gambling legislation has failed, and some politicians today are busy looking for ways to tidy the mess. Given Kyrgyzstan's poor state, legalizing gambling and other forms of gambling could prove essential in widening the government's tax bracket.

With new bills being drafted on gambling, gambling could likely be legalized in the future. Even though there is no clarity in when it will be legalized, bettors have every reason to remain optimistic following the approval of a bill that sought to legalize land-based casinos in April 2021.

According to government officials, land-based gambling could be limited to the Issyk-Kul region, which is open to foreigners or tourists. It is also likely that the current legislative window on online betting will remain open for local players.

History of gambling in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz players' favorite games

Kyrgyz players' favorite games

Kyrgyz players enjoy unlimited gaming opportunities online because there is no clear rule barring them from playing online casino games. However, the following games enjoy solid popularity in this Asian country:

  • Poker
  • Roulette
  • Online lottery
  • Online Bingo
  • Sports Betting
  • Live slots
Kyrgyz players' favorite games
Payment methods in Kyrgyzstan

Payment methods in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz players can access reliable and secure payment methods. Punters can opt to use credit and debit cards offered by MasterCard and Visa, among the most used payment methods among online casino players from this country.

Moreover, they can also take advantage of digital payment methods ranging from popular e-wallets such as Neteller, PaySafeCard, WebMoney, Jeton, eKonto, and Skrill to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. The good thing about using digital payment methods is that it reduces the need for players to keep applying for exchange rate fees.

Players who are keen on slipping under the legal radar tend to prefer e-wallets and cryptos. But overall, the government has been tolerant as far as screening casino payments, with no record of a single transaction blocked by the Kyrgyz banks.

Payment methods in Kyrgyzstan