Russian gambling executives say Uzbekistan’s licensing process has stalled for bookmakers

Russia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry says bookmaker licensing in Uzbekistan has “stalled,” with the main complaint being not the legal framework itself but how the process is being handled in practice. For PSPs and betting operators, the point is simple: a licensing regime that looks open on paper can still be hard to enter if the approval pipeline is opaque.

1. Deputy chairman of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s committee on entrepreneurship in sports, Nikolai Oganesov, said the issuance of bookmaker licenses in Uzbekistan has “stalled.” He framed the country’s push to push out the illegal market as the right course, but said legal operators should not be put at a disadvantage versus unlicensed ones.
2. Oganesov said business representatives describe a “unhealthy business climate” around licensing, including pressure on applicants to bring in local “partners” who, in his view, should not be expected to provide investment. For operators, that is the kind of setup that changes the economics of market entry before a single bet is placed.
3. He also said the licensing process through the National Agency of Perspective Projects (НАПП) is non-transparent. According to Oganesov, after negotiations, agency representatives stop responding and ignore formal requests.
4. His practical advice to applicants was to pay attention to the shareholder structure of companies that have already obtained licenses. In other words: if you are evaluating whether Uzbekistan is a workable market, the real story may be in who got through the door and on what terms.