After the legalization of casino activity in Kyrgyzstan, the amount of investments increased. President Sadyr Japarov said in his latest interview with Kabar news agency.
When asked whether he considered casinos a «sin», the head of state replied that there is nothing «haram» for the Kyrgyz Republic and the interests of the country should come first.
He said that for those wishing to obtain a license to open a casino, a condition has been set — to build a five-star hotel.
«At the moment, about 10 five-star and 1 seven-star hotels are under construction. This means that more than 3 billion in investments have been received. When they are completed and put into operation, the benefits will be ten times higher. Tourists will come. They will also leave their money in the country. The commissioning of hotels will begin next year,» Sadyr Japarov said.
He added that the old hotels «Dostuk», «Sayakat» and «Ak-Keme» are being rebuilt by investors into five-star hotels.
According to the president, by issuing licenses for opening casinos, the state has only benefited, and there is no need to worry about the youth of Kyrgyzstan, since, as he claims, not a single citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic has entered as a client of any of the three casinos currently operating in Bishkek.
The casinos are controlled by police officers. If a casino is found, where a citizen of Kyrgyzstan has entered, it will be automatically closed.
Sadyr Japarov
«It is unlikely that a casino owner will want to lose a license worth $1 million because of $5,000-6,000 from one Kyrgyz? And those who open and manage underground casinos are detained by law enforcement agencies and their property is confiscated. Underground casinos have existed since time immemorial. Now there are almost none left. Control is strict,» Sadyr Japarov concluded.
Recall, the casino activity in the Kyrgyz Republic was permitted in 2022, 10 years after the ban on gambling was introduced. The initiators of legalization stipulated in the law that Kyrgyzstanis cannot be casino clients.
