First off, an overview of live sports betting is presented in this online gaming guide for Kyrgyzstan. Then the perspective turns to the tax ramifications of winning on a bet placed via the internet. After that, there’s an examination into how easy it is for those in Kyrgyzstan who like gambling on games to find bookies online. Finally, some final thoughts about what’s going to be happening next with Kyrgyzstan sports betting are given.
Kyrgyzstan is situated in Central Asia and it is a mountainous country. Kyrgyzstan was part of China, then it was given to the Russian Empire in 1800s that developed into USSR in the early 20th century. In 1991, when communism ended and Soviet Union ceased to exist as a country, Kyrgyzstan became independent. At present, Kyrgyzstan is one of the poorest countries in Central Asia with a third of its people living below poverty line.
Russia had previously done something similar, by relocating all its casinos and gaming houses to four zones. However, one major flaw in the law of Kyrgyzstan was that while Russia already had identified their gambling territories, there was no such determination made for the Kyrgyzstan’s gambling areas which also later failed to be approved.
Because of lack of law enforcement and corruptedness, this law was a total disaster [2]. In fact, the figures went up more than twice during that year. The same thing happened with many bookmakers some of whom are still open, in effect running illegal gambling outlets in the full glare of daylight.
MPs in March 2014 proposed new laws to re-legalize gambling. The reasoning was that the economy of Kyrgyzstan is too feeble to turn its back on potential revenues from gambling. There has been much opposition to gambling in this country, but it has been suggested that, with the passing of this bill, there might be some support [3].
The country still bans sports betting. This means that it does not permit online gambling either. It is also worth noting that there are no local bookies, although punters in Kyrgyzstan can make bets on a number of overseas sites.
To pick a site, be sure to check the terms and conditions first because some dishonest operators have received deposits from punters only to close their accounts later, asserting that the person is expected to check whether or not betting is allowed in his/her jurisdiction. Consequently, it is advisable for you to adhere only by reputable firms most of which run massive legal operations listed at various world stock markets.
Businesses that are licensed in the EU are extensively and widely recognized as being amongst the topmost. These are a few of the names which have been known for the industry over a long period of time, they represent a wide range of markets to bet on. Usually these are also the ones with best prices and most attractive promotions like however you should also make sure that you read through their terms as they may not be alike.
In the absence of any legally operating gambling institutions in Kyrgyzstan, it is impossible to collect taxes from winners. Hence, all winnings are free money for you.
You shall be so fortunate if you get an international bookmaker offering Kyrgyz, otherwise you will have to find a website that is in language of your convenience like Russian or rely on translation by your browser.
Using credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard, or alternative Entropay can be a good way to make deposits and withdraws. However, in some situations you may have trouble withdrawing using this same method, so your website will typically give you two options: bank transfer or payment by check.
In this region, it is not common to get e-wallets like Neteller and Skrill but there are alternatives such as WebMoney which function in a similar manner. This will enable you fill your online wallet with money, from where you can spend on sites and receive cash.
Politicians are now looking for ways to clean up the mess left by the hasty 2011 legislation. With Kyrgyzstan’s economy in such a bad condition, many argue that it is logical to make sports betting and other forms of gambling legal and let the state take advantage of the tax earnings. Nevertheless, there exists a strong anti-gambling lobby in this country which can hinder this from taking place.
It looks like there are new bills that would eventually mean gambling will be legalized in Kyrgyzstan but when it will happen is still an open question. Moreover, the new laws may contain some regulations concerning online betting and this could involve the restriction of foreign sites. This has also been a tough task in many other nations with stricter regulatory frameworks so even if there are new laws put into place, it is likely that things will stay almost the same regarding online sports betting in the coming days.
[1] Kyrgyzstan Parliament Bans Gambling – BBC
[2] Kyrgyzstan Casino Ban Epic Fail – Calvin Ayre
[3] To Save the Budget, Silk Road Reporters Propose Making Gambling Legal.
