How licenses work in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Georgia
Belarus, Kazakhstan and Georgia are three post-Soviet countries where gambling is not only legalized, but also considered as an instrument of economic growth, attracting investment and tourism. At the same time, each of them has built its own model of licensing and supervision, differing in the degree of state control, requirements for operators and attitudes towards the online segment.
Belarus: strict control and complete legalization
Legislative framework
Gambling in Belarus is regulated by Presidential Decree No. 305 of August 7, 2018, which legalized online casinos and established clear requirements for operators. Since 2019, Belarus has become the first EAEU country to fully legalize online gambling.
Licensing and Supervision
Control bodies: Ministry of Taxes and Duties (MNS) and Department of Humanitarian Affairs.
Types of licenses: separate licenses are issued for online and offline casinos; registration of servers in the country is required.
Validity: indefinite, but with an annual compliance check.
Conditions: minimum authorized capital from 1 million Belarusian rubles, connection to the state monitoring system and centralized data storage.
Features of regulation
All online operators are required to keep track of bets and winnings through the national monitoring system.
Introduced a program of self-exclusion of players (analogue of Responsible Gambling).
Game transactions pass only through registered payment gateways.
Taxes
4-10% on gross income (GGR) depending on the type of game.
Additional fees are paid for licensing and control services.
Bottom line: Belarus demonstrates a strict but stable model: the state controls everything - from servers to reporting.
Kazakhstan: restricted areas and local operators
Legislative framework
Gambling is regulated by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Gambling" of 2007 with subsequent amendments. The main principle is zoning: casinos and slot machine halls are allowed only in certain tourist clusters.
Licensing and control
Permitted areas:- Shchuchinsko-Borovskaya (Akmola region);
- Kapshagayskaya (Almaty region).
- Regulator: Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
- Online gambling: officially banned (except for bookmaking).
- License: issued for 10 years, cost - about 150 million tenge.
Conditions and limitations
Casinos are required to have a physical location in the permitted area.
Online games without being tied to ground operators are prohibited.
All rates are fixed through the state accounting system.
Equipment certification and RNG inspection required.
Taxes
The tax on the gaming table is fixed (about 145 thousand tenge per month).
Slot machine - 60 thousand tenge per month.
Additionally - corporate income tax (20%).
Bottom line: Kazakhstan maintains a limited legalization model, relying on offline tourism and regional resorts.
Georgia: Open Market and International Standards
Legislative framework
Georgia legalized gambling one of the first in the region - the Law "On Licenses and Permits" (2005) and the Law "On Taxes on Gambling Business" (2010).
Regulation has gradually adapted to European standards.
Regulator and licensing
Regulator: Georgian Ministry of Finance.
Types of licenses: casinos, online casinos, bookmaking, lotteries.
License price: depends on the city:- Tbilisi - about 5 million lari per year;
- Batumi, Kutaisi - from 250 thousand to 1 million lari.
- Online gambling: fully allowed since 2011, subject to the placement of servers in the country.
Reforms 2022-2025
Increased control over advertising and age of players.
Since 2023, there is a restriction for citizens under 25 years old and a ban on the participation of civil servants.
A progressive tax on operator income has been introduced: up to 10% of GGR.
Features
Georgia actively attracts foreign operators, especially in resort regions.
The simplified procedure for obtaining a license makes the country attractive for investment.
A system of player self-exclusion and deposit control has been created.
Bottom line: Georgia is the most liberal jurisdiction in the region, where online gambling is recognized as a full-fledged business under tax supervision.
Comparison table
Belarus, Kazakhstan and Georgia demonstrate three different regulatory philosophies:
- Belarus - total control and transparent reporting;
- Kazakhstan - zoned offline gambling under state supervision;
- Georgia is a liberal market and simplified integration of online operators.
For operators, the choice of jurisdiction depends on the strategy: stability and control (Belarus), regional tourism (Kazakhstan) or flexibility and online development (Georgia).
All three countries remain on course to balance fiscal gains with responsible gambling - with a focus on transparency, RG and oversight in 2025.