Gambling looks harmless enough. A spin of the wheel or a quick bet on a football game appear to be harmless entertainment. However in Kazakhstan, this game is becoming a silent threat. Ludomania, or gambling addiction, is on the rise as online casinos and betting apps become more popular. Families are falling apart, bank accounts are emptying, and lives are quietly falling apart behind closed doors. Ludomania is not a personal weakness but a mental health disorder requiring urgent regulation, education, and public support.
Temirlan Nurtazin.
The truth is simple: gambling addiction is not a matter of weak willpower. It is a known mental health disorder that changes the brain in the same way that drugs or alcohol do. But in Kazakhstan, people often think of this illness as a personal failure. That stigma keeps the problem hidden, even though more and more young people and other vulnerable players are getting involved.
It’s hard to ignore the proof. Kazakh Ministry of Healthcare reported that since the country started using a diagnostic protocol for gambling addiction, only 15 cases have been officially reported. Experts say that this number doesn’t show how big the problem really is, it’s just a result of the stigma and lack of reporting. In the meantime, online betting sites heavily promote themselves on social media, going after young men with flashy promises of quick cash. What starts out as a fun game can turn into hours of compulsive gambling, huge debts, and, for some people, depression or thoughts of suicide. Families have to deal with the mess.
Illegal gambling is thriving too. In the Aktobe region, officials shut down an online casino that was making 150,000 to 200,000 tenge (USD$300-400) every day. The people who ran it made more than 306 million tenge (USD$ 601,000) before they were caught. Regulators have shut down more than 1,800 illegal gambling websites across the country. These numbers show that this is not just a few isolated incidents, but a growing, systemic issue that is much bigger than most officials say it is.
Some people say that gambling is a matter of personal choice. Many people place bets from time to time without getting addicted. Why punish so many people for what a few people do? To be sure, there is truth in that. You can enjoy gambling responsibly, just like you can enjoy drinking. We need to regulate gambling just like we do with tobacco and alcohol because they are known to be dangerous. People who are weak are good for business, and the industry will keep taking advantage of them if there is no oversight.
Kazakhstan has taken steps, but they are nowhere near enough. People under the age of 18 are not allowed to bet, and people who are addicted can put themselves on exclusion lists if they want to. These rules are easy to get around in real life. It’s still easy to find foreign online casinos, and the rules about advertising aren’t very strict. Self-regulation won’t work if the business model relies on people losing control.
So, what needs to be done? First, the rules need to catch up with what really happens. The government should be more strict about shutting down illegal gambling sites, punishing companies that target minors heavily, and crack down on ads that glamorize fast wins. Second, people need to know more about it. Schools and colleges should teach kids about the dangers of gambling addiction, just like they do about drugs and smoking. The media also needs to do its part by covering the human cost of the industry, not just the shiny side. Lastly, treatment and help need to grow. There should be a lot of counseling services, hotlines, and rehab programs that are paid for by the government.
Civil society can also help. Community groups and NGOs could help each other, run campaigns to raise awareness, and speak up for families who are dealing with the effects of addiction. Talking about things openly will also help reduce stigma, which will make more people want to get help before the damage is too great.
Kazakhstan stands at a turning point. Digital technology is making the gambling industry grow faster than the rules meant to keep it in check. If not dealt with, ludomania could turn into a major public health problem. But with strict rules, education, and help, the government can keep its people safe from an industry that wants to take advantage of their weaknesses.
Most people don’t realize how high the stakes are when they gamble. For a lot of people, the game doesn’t end with winning, it ends with broken families, lost futures, and lives in ruins. The question is not whether Kazakhstan can afford to act, but whether it can afford not to.
The author is Temirlan Nurtazin, a graduate student of the Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Astana Times.
