Gaming ban created illegal industry
The government of Kyrgyzstan announced last month that it had developed draft legislation that could bring a gaming hall to the capital city of Bishkek. Three versions of the legislation were posted on the website of the former Soviet republic, which outlawed gaming in 2011.
According to the website CalvinAyre.com, the government concedes that prohibiting gambling has been a failure. Though “guided by good intentions,” the ban “has led not to gambling’s stoppage, but to its movement into the shadows.”
The ministry admitted it has been powerless to stop gaming or stem “the development of criminal organizations.” It also concedes it has missed out on millions in tax revenues, an estimated 500 million soms (US$6.6 million) per year.
