Illegal betting in Irad

Illegal betting is widespread in Irad, where the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 2011 allows wagers only on the state's pari-mutuel tote at the Irad State Hippodrome and the regional fields of Nurzhan and Iyık Janyl. Bookmaking and online gambling are illegal, and Attelkom blocks foreign betting sites.^[1]

Illegal bookmakers take bets on horse racing, ulak and the Irad League, offering better odds than the tote and credit to regular customers. Since about 2018 most bets have been placed through anonymous channels on the Tulpar messaging app, and many bettors use foreign betting sites through VPNs. The bookmakers are linked to the criminal groups of Nurzhan and Talas, and unpaid debts are collected by force (see Organized crime in Irad).^[1][2]

Race-fixing has been alleged at regional meetings, and in 2019 two Irad League players were banned for life by the football federation for taking money to lose a match; the federation said the payments came from a betting syndicate in Nurzhan.^[2]

References

1. ^ Eurasian Political Quarterly (2024). 'Patrons and Racketeers: Organized Crime in the Irad Special Economic Zone.' Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 77–102.
2. ^ Talas Herald (2019). 'Two players banned for life over fixed match.' Talas.