Kazakh parliamentarians got acquainted with the draft law on gambling, which involves a complete ban on advertising of gambling games, bookmakers and even seriously limits the lottery business.
The draft of the new law was presented to the Majilis by deputy Elnur Beisenbaev, who said that according to unofficial data, the annual turnover of bookmakers in the country last year reached 1 trillion tenge, Sputnik Kazakhstan reports.
"There is an epidemic of gambling addiction in Kazakhstan. It starts to threaten the security of the country. About 400 thousand people were involved in it and became regular customers of bookmakers and casinos. 40% of divorces are directly caused by this",
Elnur Beisenbaev said.
The deputy listed other terrible consequences of gambling addiction, such as an increase in crime, domestic violence and suicide, gaming addiction among schoolchildren, and even a serious increase in the number of players in the country's army.
The new law provides for a ban on advertising gambling, including outdoor advertising of bookmakers on the facades of houses and buildings, fences of buildings, and vehicles. Advertising on Internet resources, official websites, TV channels and radio, in periodicals, and cinema will also be prohibited. Access to gambling and betting will be restricted for persons under 25 years of age. The law will even prohibit the distribution of lottery tickets and the installation of lottery terminals in residential buildings and buildings where children's, educational, medical and religious organizations are located.
Organizers of the gambling business will be required to pay taxes by integrating their terminals with the information systems of the State Revenue Committee, and educational work will be organized with young people, the deputy concluded.
