Kyrgyzstan’s Financial Supervision Agency says tighter internet controls may be needed to address the growth of illegal online gambling. The proposal could involve filters for online casinos, as well as pornographic websites and games such as Roblox.
Kairayt Mamatov, chair of the Financial Supervision Agency, raised the issue on Birinchi Radio. He said the government would need to fund a system capable of monitoring internet traffic and filtering access.
“People are losing money, cars and houses,” Mamatov said. “Despite the bans, they continue to gamble on foreign platforms. Some use VPNs; others find different ways around the restrictions.”
He cited China as an example of a country where internet traffic is monitored and banned applications cannot be accessed.
Illegal gambling and access restrictions
Kyrgyz citizens are barred from using the country’s licensed gambling sector, which is permitted to serve foreign nationals only. The agency said one illegal platform nevertheless has more than 40,000 active users a month. Gaming accounts are funded with bank cards from international payment systems.
Mamatov said potential changes to internet access would not affect social networks, messaging services or news sources, and would not involve monitoring personal correspondence.
The prospect of broader restrictions follows Kyrgyzstan’s decision to block TikTok in 2024. The government cited concerns that the platform was not complying with laws intended to protect children’s health. Critics argued at the time that the ban reflected a wider decline in freedom of speech.
Mamatov acknowledged that further restrictions could prompt public opposition, as the TikTok block did. “People might start to get upset again,” he said, adding that people spend two to three hours a day on social media and that children’s safety also needs consideration.
Separate gambling legislation under review
Lawmakers are also considering legislation to prohibit gambling through binary options. The proposed measure would increase penalties for intermediaries, including payment providers, that facilitate participation in the activity.
The internet filtering proposal and the proposed binary options restrictions are separate measures. The agency’s comments point to possible tighter controls, but do not establish that a general internet ban has been adopted.
