Bookmaking activities may be allowed in Uzbekistan 

In the document, the Ministry of Youth Policy and Sports, together with the Ministry of Digital Technologies, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Justice, the Football Association of Uzbekistan, was instructed to submit proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers by creating a special working group by the end of 2023 on the implementation of betting activities to expand the football financing system based on advanced foreign experience.

It should be recalled that in December 2019, the President signed a decree “On measures to raise football to a completely new stage in the development of football in Uzbekistan”.

According to the document, from January 1, 2021, in order to further develop the field of sports, especially football, increase its investment attractiveness and attract additional funds, betting activities were allowed in Uzbekistan. Based on the decree, it was planned to introduce appropriate amendments and additions to the Criminal Code and the Administrative Responsibility Code to establish the responsibility of persons for violating the implementation of betting activities, playing sweepstakes, holding and participating in fixed games in order to influence the games or their results.

In addition, the Agency for Developing the Capital Market, together with the relevant departments, by June 1, 2020, was instructed to submit draft regulatory legal acts on the implementation of betting activities to the Cabinet of Ministers, providing for:

•  implementation of licensing of betting activities by the Agency for Developing the Capital Market;
•  regulation of the provision of services by business entities engaged in betting activities in telecommunication networks, including Internet providers;
•  directing part of the income of business entities engaged in betting activities to the development of sports, including football;
•  introduction of mechanisms of state control over the implementation of betting activities.

Later, on April 6, 2022, the President signed a decree “On amendments and additions to some acts of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan”. The document states that in paragraph 4 of the decree “On measures to raise football to a completely new stage in the development of football in Uzbekistan”, the above paragraphs are excluded.

Thus, then in Uzbekistan, the decision to legalize betting activities was canceled.