Online casinos and betting in Uzbekistan 2026: the new B2C licensing era

The current news in Uzbekistan is quite amusing, as no one could have predicted this development a few years ago: the country has started issuing gambling licenses. The hard ban was active for 17 years, but the National Agency of Perspective Projects (NAPP) is now granting B2C licenses for sport betting and online casinos. This means that as of 2026, it is one of the many countries where gambling is legal. The local audience is young, enthusiastic and hungry for gaming activities.

Overview of the Uzbekistan gambling market in 2026

The current population of Uzbekistan is around 37 million people. It has one of the largest populations in Central Asia, and thanks to its mobile-native audience, the country tends to adopt digital technologies quickly. The popularity of mobile payments and crypto grew together as mobile phones became more accessible. Now, mobile-first financial products are welcomed by Uzbek banks and crypto adoption increases daily.

An accurate insight into the local gambling traffic is challenging to obtain here. Locals have a long history with offshore platforms, as this was the only method available to them for many years. Uzbek players would overcome the strict Uzbekistan online gambling laws by using VPNs and offshore payment methods. But now the government is regulating the market, players can choose onshore brands, too.

Uzbek players favor sports betting and football, as the culture has deep roots in sports. This is why sportsbook integration is reasonable to use while operating in this area.

Nevertheless, verticals such as live dealer games and slots have been gaining popularity recently.

The Uzbekistan government is highly interested in keeping tax-payers on licensed platforms, which is why online gambling is currently treated as another source of tax income, rather than a moral threat to society.

The history of legislating gambling business in Uzbekistan

Although Uzbekistan’s online gambling laws were changed in 2026 to legalize the industry, it has taken several long years to get here. In late 2019, the government of Uzbekistan made the first steps towards legalizing betting activities with the intention of supporting and developing the country's sports industry. In November of the same year, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's decree “On measures to bring the development of popular sports in Uzbekistan to a new level” was published on the government portal of the Republic. This decree legalized betting operations with the objective of directing the obtained funds to the development of sports institutions, particularly those in the football industry. The government’s initial plan was to legalize the betting market in Uzbekistan by the end of 2021. The primary motivations behind this initiative were the need to stem the outflow of funds into the shadow economy of the gambling industry and to provide financial support to the Uzbekistan Football Federation in order to achieve sporting success on the international stage.

However, the launch of these plans were delayed due to difficulties in selecting an agency to be responsible for modernizing Uzbekistan sports and developing programs for athletes. In 2021, after several failed attempts, President Mirziyoyev instructed the Oliy Majlis — the Parliament of the Republic of Uzbekistan — to draft a comprehensive decree regulating all forms of gambling. On April 19, 2024, President Mirziyoyev signed a decree on new measures to regulate the organization of lotteries and gambling.

NAPP was established to regulate cryptoassets, capital markets, insurance and e-commerce. However, its mandate expanded on April 19, 2025 when it became Uzbekistan's online gambling regulator to cover betting, lottery and online gambling. There is a so-called unified digital-asset framework here, because it regulates both crypto and gambling in Uzbekistan. This means that cryptocurrencies are authorized here, including crypto exchanges. VPN-based access has also become more available and easier to use with the internet in the country.

Gambling zone Muynak: Is online gambling legal in Uzbekistan?

Muynak, also spelled Moynaq, is situated on the dried-up shores of the Aral Sea in the Karakalpakstan region. Although once a thriving seaport, Muynak is now a popular disaster tourism destination. As Soviet-related irrigation caused the drying of the rivers flowing into the Aral Sea, the water receded roughly 200 km from the bustling fishing community. Muynak became a ghost town with its ships stranded in the sand.

President Mirziyoyev decided to pull the region out of economic collapse by giving it another chance. He had an idea of building a Vegas-style gambling complex in Karakalpakstan under a designated casino zone. The zone is intended exclusively for foreigners, not locals, meaning it will serve as a tourist attraction. His plan included building poker rooms, gambling halls, a shopping mall and a rally-racing track — all of which would be covered by an Uzbekistan casino license.

Zones and restrictions

Land-based gambling in Muynak is planned for foreigners only. On the other hand, the new B2C framework allows digital betting and casino activities to be available for a much broader market under the new NAPP licensing. These are two completely separate markets. So land-based casino laws are being handled very differently than the NAPP Uzbekistan online gambling licenses.

Online casino market and payment methods

Before Uzbekistan online gambling licenses were available, players relied on the offshore gambling platforms, international payment workarounds and crypto transfers. Now, the dynamic is significantly changing.

With NAPP issuing real B2C licenses, gaming operators now have a chance to offer legitimate local payment integration, transparent terms and actual legal accountability. These operators can use turnkey casino platforms for this purpose. These are the advantages that Uzbekistan online gambling regulations and legal gambling frameworks can provide.

How Uzbekistan players access online casinos

Over the last 17 years, players have gotten used to working around the gambling ban. So before the transition period actually finishes, the players will still use VPN to access international gambling websites. Crypto payments will still take place in parallel with the regulated newly licensed gambling market in Uzbekistan. To win the competition, gaming operators should take into consideration building real localization, creating trustful environments, offering convenient depositing methods and promoting the legal status they get through the licensing.

What types of games are popular in Uzbekistan

The most popular games are sports betting, especially football, followed by slots and live casino games. But licensed operators are now in a situation where they have to compete for players to attract them to their platforms from the international offshore websites. So in order to succeed, they have to thoroughly study the preferences and expectations of the local gamblers. Operators can consider using Casino API integrations to stay ahead of the game.

Mobile casino games in Uzbekistan

Nowadays, a mobile-first gaming platform design is a must. It is the only way to entertain the young population in the era of high mobile usage. Operators must take into consideration not only popular phone models, but the whole range of mobile devices available on the market now to give users diversity and comfort.

Deposit and withdrawal methods in Uzbekistan

Operators should definitely consider local banking integration to maintain seamless and secure deposits and withdrawals from their platform. Traditional popular payment systems are UzCard and HUMO. Mobile payment systems and crypto rails are also significant for Uzbekistan gambling platforms as there is a strong crypto-native payment culture.

How to open an online casino in Uzbekistan?

The new operators aiming at opening an online casino in Uzbekistan should follow the list of requirements. They are the following:

1. Business integration. Establish a legal entity in the country.
2. Ownership structure. There cannot be more than three layers between the founder and the ultimate beneficial owner.
3. Police clearance certificate. Leading figures should have no criminal record.
4. Minimum authorized capital. Operators should have at least $4.4 million to apply for the B2C Uzbekistan gaming license acquisition. A separate reserve fund must be around $2.2 million.
5. Local hosting. Operators are obliged to use Uzbekistan’s national internet domain and host on local servers.
6. RNG. Certified random number generation technology is a must.
7. KYC and AML. It is necessary to implement the digital identity verification and biometric Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures.
8. Certificates on games and software. Only certified casino software will be allowed on the gambling platform.
9. Uzbekistan gambling license fee and application. The initial license application fee is around $1,500. All the paperwork should be submitted with the payment. Each gaming activity requires a separate application. A single Uzbekistan iGaming license does not include multiple verticals.

NAPP will review every application alongside with the Central Bank and Ministry of Internal Affairs. The processing timeliness has not been announced publicly yet, because the legislative framework is still fresh.

The cost of licensing in Uzbekistan

The initial application fee is quite affordable. The real financial barrier new operators face will be in the capitalization. As mentioned above, the application fee is around $1,500. The renewal fee is about $730. The gambling license of Uzbekistan must be renewed every five years. The gambling tax is 4% of GGR.

So, while the UZ gambling license is cheap to apply to, it is challenging to qualify for. This kind of filter is purposefully created to keep under-capitalized operators away from the industry to avoid high-risk scenarios.

Alternative jurisdictions for targeting Uzbekistan players

Reaching the gaming market in Uzbekistan is still possible through offshore jurisdiction. Traditionally, Curaçao and Anjouan licenses are the top-choices for operators targeting Central Asian player bases. The review process is faster and the entry cost is significantly lower. The processing may take 4-12 weeks, if everything goes smoothly.