Gambling addiction is recognised by the international community as a socially significant problem. The origins of gambling addiction lie in the emergence and development of the gambling industry, which is the key factor precluding the adoption of extreme measures such as a total ban on gambling and/or the implementation of a state policy to phase out the gambling business as a form of enterprise. The permeability of national borders, the high level of citizen mobility, widespread digitalisation, the extensive capabilities of artificial intelligence, internet resources, and the availability of a multitude of new technologies to an unlimited range of users – all of these factors, taken together, contribute to the comprehensive development of the gambling industry, its expansion into the global information space, and the export of new forms of gambling to other countries. The consequences of these factors have a negative impact on citizens’ psychological, mental and physical health; the financial and economic stability of society’s way of life; the intellectual potential of the population; the stability of positive social ties; and other vital aspects of life. The most dangerous consequence of the negative manifestations of a gambling addiction is the development of a pathological dependence on gambling in an individual. This forms the basis for a psychiatric diagnosis resulting from behavioural addiction.

       This article analyses and evaluates the methods and measures currently in place in Kazakhstan to combat gambling addiction. It presents arguments in favour of a state strategy to tackle gambling addiction, based on a sensible balance between two policy approaches: supporting measures for the further development of the gambling industry and establishing an effective mechanism to prevent the spread of gambling addiction.