Konaev casinos bring in billions as new gambling zone planned near Almaty

Tengrinews.kz — The gambling industry in the Almaty region continues to bring billions in revenue to the budget. Against this backdrop, authorities are considering creating a new gambling zone in the Talgar district, intended exclusively for foreign tourists, citing the regional akimat.

Almost 185 billion tenge in 2.5 years

According to the Almaty region akimat, in the first six months of 2026, legal gambling businesses paid 25 billion tenge in taxes to the state budget. Of this amount, 10.6 billion tenge went to the regional budget.

In total, over the past 2.5 years, the industry has generated 184.7 billion tenge in tax revenues, including 53.8 billion tenge for the Almaty region budget.

Currently, 21 gambling facilities operate in Konaev: five casinos, 13 betting shops and three slot machine halls. Around 2,500 people are employed in this sector.

Casinos attract foreign tourists

According to the tourism department, about 20 percent of casino visitors are foreigners. It is noted that guests do not limit themselves to visiting casinos: they stay in hotels, visit restaurants, use transport and other services. This contributes to the development of small and medium-sized businesses and increases local economic revenues.

New gambling zone may open near Almaty

Against the backdrop of the successful operation of the existing gambling zone, authorities are considering creating a new gambling zone in the Talgar district, which will be intended exclusively for foreign citizens. The initiative has already received a positive conclusion from the public council.

Why Talgar district was chosen

The choice of the district is explained by its high tourism potential. It is located near Almaty and the international airport, and also has developed tourism infrastructure.

Officials believe the new gambling zone will attract additional investment, create new jobs and give impetus to the development of the hotel business, trade, transport and the service sector.

As a reminder, in March, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law expanding the list of territories where gambling facilities may be located. The Talgar district of the Almaty region was included in this list. Under the document, only foreigners and stateless persons will be allowed to visit the new gambling zones, with the exception of employees of the establishments.