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Uzbek
Starting from January 1, Uzbekistan will officially permit the operation of bookmakers and organizers of online gambling. Authorities claim that this decision is driven by the need to protect citizens who are already actively using foreign services to participate in gambling. There are also plans to develop regulations that supposedly protect socially vulnerable groups, government employees, and citizens with gambling addictions from participating in these gambling activities.
But let’s take a look at this situation without rose-colored glasses. Uzbekistan’s history is already filled with tragic examples where people, drowning in debt from gambling, saw suicide as their only way out. This is a harsh reality that cannot be ignored. Debts, despair, and loss of life purpose—these are not fabrications but the brutal consequences of participating in gambling, which is now being considered for legalization.
The media have covered numerous cases where people, addicted to betting, turned to crime: stealing money from pensioners, robbing banks, and even betraying their loved ones. All of this was done in the hope of recovering what was lost or paying off ever-growing debts. Isn’t this a compelling argument against legalization? These examples are not isolated incidents but a systemic problem that will affect even more people if we give the green light to gambling.
The legalization of gambling is a direct path to increasing the number of those who will find themselves trapped in addiction. Have we forgotten how easily young people, the elderly, and women today fall under the influence of fraudulent advertising promising easy money? No measures that officials plan to develop will stop those who want to gamble. As practice shows, such restrictions only create the illusion of control, while in reality, they leave people alone with their problem. And while the authorities promise protection against addiction, it is hard to believe that these measures will truly work. How can you monitor every player? How can you protect someone who has already placed a bet and tasted the lure of easy money from going further?
The legalization of bookmakers and online gambling will not lead to anything good. Instead of the promised taxes and control, we will see a wave of addiction, the ruin of families, and a new level of social crisis. People today struggle to resist temptation when betting is only available through foreign websites. What will happen when it’s literally in every smartphone?
The promised protective measures are nothing but words. In reality, when bookmakers start operating openly, their impact on society will become immeasurably greater. Socially vulnerable citizens, people with low incomes, those seeking salvation from poverty and despair—all of them will become easy prey for this industry. Instead of developing the economy, education, and culture, we will produce a new generation burdened with debt, families destroyed by addiction, and a society that will merely watch this decline.
As a result of this rash decision, we risk losing not only money and property but the most valuable thing—our citizens’ lives and well-being. The legalization of gambling is playing with fire, which could turn into a catastrophe for entire families. We must not allow this dangerous initiative to become a reality.
The legalization of bookmakers is not just an economic step; it is a blow to the most vulnerable segments of the population, to the moral and ethical foundations of our society. We must fight for the future, not sell it for the illusion of easy money. Gambling will never bring true happiness and well-being. It will destroy everything that has been built over the years, undermine trust in the authorities, and leave us trapped in endless debt and suffering. Is it worth the risk? The answer is obvious. And there is still time to stop this. Lawmakers, you have the chance to speak out and raise this issue at the national level.
Perhaps our words sound populist, and some may say that calls to ban gambling in today’s world are outdated. But let’s look at it from another angle: allowing the operation of bookmakers and online gambling could be an even more destructive decision. In attempting to control what is already a massive problem, we risk opening the door to an even greater crisis. Legalization will not eliminate the root of the problem—it will only make it easier to access what is already destroying people’s lives. It’s like trying to extinguish a fire with gasoline, hoping everything will turn out fine. Are our authorities ready for this?
The text has been translated by AI. For more accurate information, please refer to the Russian version of the article.
