22 Dec, 2021
The initiative to legalize casinos and create gambling zones in Azerbaijan was made by Gudrat Hasanguliyev, the chairman of the Legal Policy and State Building Committee of the Parliament. He believes that such areas as Nagorno-Karabakh or Nargin Island are suitable for this idea.
On December 20, at the parliament session, during the discussion of the "Tourism" bill, the deputy noted that "Azerbaijan's geographical location allows consideration of the concept of entertainment tourism." He cited special gaming zones in Russia as an example.
"We propose to legalize casinos. In Russia, the game is allowed - in certain places. We can do the same in Azerbaijan. For example, allowing casinos in Karabakh and attracting tourists to this region. We can also create a special gaming zone to do this on Nargin Island," Hasanguliyev said.
We remind you that gambling business has been banned in Azerbaijan since 1999. All types of gambling establishments and all gambling, as well as the segment of online gaming related to casinos, poker and non-sports betting, are completely banned in the country. However, the ban does not apply to state lotteries and sports betting.