Posted on: March 18, 2026, 12:07h.
Last updated on: March 17, 2026, 02:09h.
- Kazakhstan has authorized casinos in various new cities and regions
- Tourism in Kazakhstan is booming, with a record 16 million visitors in 2025
- Kazakhstan’s tourism industry is now ahead of Qatar, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic
The government of Kazakhstan is betting on the creation of new casinos and gaming resorts to promote tourism in the Central Asian country.
In the United States, Kazakhstan is perhaps best known for Borat, the fictitious character created by actor Sacha Baron Cohen. But in reality, Kazakhstan is the world’s ninth-largest country by land area and home to a rather affluent population where the median household income ranks within the top 50 nations at almost $50,000 annually.
Kazakhstan’s economy is primarily dependent on oil and gas, mining and minerals, agriculture, and logistics. Being a landlocked nation in Central Asia, Kazakhstan hadn’t traditionally been a major tourism market. But that’s changed in recent years, as the country has liberalized its visa program and promoted its alpine landscapes, hilly plateaus, and lowlands.
The country welcomed a record 16 million international visitors last year. The government hopes to further expand tourism by bringing in additional casinos.
Kazakhstan Casinos
Kazakhstan already permits casinos, but they’re limited to Konaev in Almaty and the luxury resort town of Lake Shchuchye in Akmola.
The Kazinform International News Agency reports that the Kazakhstan government recently approved several new locations for slot machines. The Kazakhstan media outlet says Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has ratified legislation to designate the Mangistau region along the Caspian Sea, the Lake Alakol region, the Silk Road’s Talgar, Lake Markakol, and Zaisan for casino gambling.
The placement of casinos, slot machine halls, betting shops, and totalizators (parimutuel wagering) is prohibited within specially protected natural areas, as well as on land of historical and cultural significance and land allocated for defense and national security needs,” the news agency reported.
Any new casino in Kazakhstan would be limited to foreigners and non-residents.
Tourism Growth
The Kazakhstan government reports that the country’s tourism sector attracted KZR1.2 trillion (US$2.49 billion) in investments in 2025. The bulk of the activity relates to new hotels and mountain resorts.
“The implementation of these projects will enable the creation of some 10,000 jobs in the tourism sector,” said Yerbol Myrzabossynov, Kazakhstan’s tourism and sports minister.
In 2024, the most recent report, the World Economic Forum moved Kazakhstan up 10 spots to 62nd on its Travel & Tourism Development Index. Covering 119 economies, the TTDI measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the country’s travel and tourism sector.
The Kazakhstan government, which is now ahead of Qatar, South Africa, Vietnam, Egypt, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and the Philippines, is focused on becoming a top 50 T&T destination.
