Gambling Laws in Turkmenistan

Unlike many Islamic countries various forms of land-based gambling in Turkmenistan are legal under the current gambling legislation in the country. The law “On Licensing of Specific Activities” introduced in the country the possibility for establishing a licensing system mainly in regard to the demand for opening betting shops in Turkmenistan. In 2016, however, the law titled “On advertising” came into force, prohibiting casino advertising in this republic, in the same time prohibiting all forms of online gambling in Turkmenistan. According to Turkmen gambling laws, minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in any legal land-based gambling activities.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Turkmenistan? No, all forms of online gambling are prohibited in Turkmenistan.

Online Casinos in Turkmenistan

The largest land-based casino in Central Asia, the Grand Casino, is located in the center of the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat. It has 150 slots, poker tables and more than ten tables for various other games. However, as of April 2019, there are no online casinos in Turkmenistan. Online gambling in the country is in general prohibited under the current gambling legislation, so no Turkmen online casino licenses have been on the offer. Although there is an active blockage on any online gambling content, illegal access to internet casino sites from Turkmenistan is frequently reported by many Asian based and Russian-language online casino providers.

Online Poker in Turkmenistan

Online poker sites in Turkmenistan are not legal, as of April 2019. Although there are no specific Turkmen online poker laws, the general prohibition on gambling coming from the application of the current gambling laws holds for this game too. Access to foreign online poker sites, however, is not blocked by the authorities in Turkmenistan.

Online lottery in Turkmenistan

Lotteries in Turkmenistan do not have any tradition, neither as gambling games nor in charity purposes. Although there are no specialized Turkmen online lotto laws, the general prohibition of online gambling in the country makes online lotto also illegal. Foreign online lotto sites in Turkmenistan are blocked from accessing the market of Turkmenistan.

Online bingo in Turkmenistan

As it is the case with the other gambling sites, online bingo sites in Turkmenistan are not legal, as of April 2019. Although there are no specific Turkmen online bingo laws, the general prohibition on online gambling in the country holds for this game too.

Online sports betting in Turkmenistan

Land-based sports betting in Turkmenistan is legal under the current gambling and betting legislation. Some of the most popular betting shops active in the country are the 1xBet.com and MegaStavka licensed by the Turkmen authorities. However, as of April 2019 none of these operators have launched their online sportsbook sites in Turkmenistan, due to the prohibition of online gambling and betting in the country. Foreign internet sportsbook sites are actively being blocked by the Turkmen authorities.

Online daily fantasy sports in Turkmenistan

Online DFS sites in Turkmenistan do not have a legally regulated status. Considering the underdevelopment of online sports betting in the country, it is very probable that internet Daily Fantasy Sports would not receive soon a legal status in Turkmenistan.