Turkmenistan – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations

Find the Best Turkmen Casino Online

Gambling is fully legal in Turkmenistan but, for cultural reasons, it is not very popular amongst the locals. This means that the gambling market is relatively small and, as a result, the country only hosts two licensed casinos in the capital city. These are called the Grand Casino and the Hotel Ak-Altyn Casino. The minimum age for gambling is 18 for tourists and locals. You can also place bets at some local sports betting stores. Right now there are no online casinos based or licensed in Turkmenistan. Your only option is to play at international casino sites that accept players from the region. The legal situation is a bit unclear. Right now, the government does not prosecute players for gambling at foreign-based sites. However, some of these online casinos are blocked and can only be accessed via a VPN connection.  

• Check the jurisdiction of the online casino
• Does the casino accept players from Turkmenistan?
• Do you have access to the accepted payment methods?
• Is the casino properly licensed to ensure fair gaming?
• Use a VPN to access foreign online casinos
• The minimum age for gambling at most international online casinos is 18
• The minimum age for gambling in Turkmenistan is also 18

You can find out more about the best international online casinos that accept players from Turkmenistan by checking out our GoodLuckMate top lists and casino reviews.

Gambling Regulation

Many of the ex-soviet states are known for their liberal stance on gambling. Turkmenistan is no exception, as the country loosened up its laws right after gaining independence in 1991. Casinos and other forms of gambling were fully regulated and legalized despite the fact that most people in the country are practicing Muslims. This came as a surprise to many people, as the Quran clearly states that gambling is a grave sin. 

All gambling operations and establishment in the country require a license. It is unclear if this is also true for online casinos as they are not specifically mentioned in the law. Until now, no online casinos have been licensed. Whether foreign-based casinos can be accessed legally is unknown but the government is not prosecuting any players that chose to play there. It isn’t seen as a major problem since the internet infrastructure in Turkmenistan is very limited anyway. Less than one percent of the population has access to broadband internet if they can even afford it. Furthermore, the government has full control over the internet and can block unwanted websites in an instant should they so desire. 

Localized Online Casinos

Right now, there are no officially licensed online casinos based in Turkmenistan. Because the legal situation is not entirely clear when it comes to online gambling, the country is seen as a gray market. As a result, you won’t be able to find any online casinos that are specifically catering to the local audience in Turkmenistan. A good alternative is to look for casino operators that offer Turkish as a site language. Just be aware that this doesn’t necessarily mean that Turkish customer care is available as well. In some cases, you have to make do with English-speaking support. Usually, there are no specific promotions for players from Turkmenistan, but you can take advantage of a huge range of international welcome offers. 

Gambling with Turkmenistan Manat

It is possible to play for Turkmenistan manat at all land-based casinos in the country. In fact, this is currently the only currency that is accepted. Currency exchange is not directly available at most establishments but there are a number of ATMs that can be used with foreign cards as well. Other gambling options that accept Turkmenistan manat are local betting shops and the national lottery. Because there are no online casinos based or licensed in Turkmenistan directly it is not possible to gamble for Turkmenistan manat on the internet. This might change in the future as it is technically possible to operate a legal online casino from here. However this is not very likely and, consequently, you will have to make do with foreign currencies such as the US dollar, the euro, or the Russian ruble.

Casinos in Turkmenistan

While gambling is fully legal in Turkmenistan, you still don’t have a whole lot of options available to you. Many locals are not participating in such activities due to their faith. In the course of this, it is mostly foreign tourists that are visiting the land-based casinos. Currently, we are only aware of two licensed casinos in the capital city, Ashgabat. These are the Grand Casino and the Hotel Ak-Altyn Casino. Both of them are relatively small but do offer a good level of service. The game selection includes slot machines and table games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and poker. 

Another option is to try your luck at one of the many sports betting shops that can be found all across Turkmenistan. The two biggest franchises are Tursen Tourism and the Russian company 1xBet. Both of them are fully licensed bookmakers. International online casinos that are accepting players from Turkmenistan are, for example, based in Curaçao, Anjouan, and Costa Rica.