The publication Offside.kz reported on March 11 about the consequences of the payment systems' suspension for bookmakers not integrated with the Unified Settlement Center (ESC) in Kazakhstan. The analysis is based on Google Trends data and public market turnover estimates.
From March 4 to 10, Google Trends recorded a 2.5-fold increase in searches for offshore iGaming operators in Kazakhstan compared to the baseline level. The author estimates that at least 60% of active traffic has shifted to the gray market, resulting in direct tax losses for the budget amounting to $2.3 billion (approximately $4.69 million daily), based on an annual market turnover of $1.6 trillion.
Among major operators, only Fonbet and Winline managed to navigate the situation without significant disruptions, as they were reportedly prepared for integration with the ESC due to their experience with the Unified Center for Online Betting (EDINYY TSUPIS).
According to the author, unlicensed iGaming brands are processing deposits and withdrawals for Kazakh players through mobile accounts from Beeline, Altel, Kcell, Activ, and Tele2.
The author predicts that if the instability of the payment infrastructure continues until the end of March, total budget losses could exceed $10 billion.