Uzbekistan is a country where online gambling is forbidden and where the currency (so’m) is not overly popular on the world stage. While there is a market (a small one) for gambling online, most Uzbekistani so’m casinos cater towards Uzbekistanis living abroad or those prepared to take a chance and act illegally against the country’s gambling laws. Obviously, being careful is essential, so let us introduce you to some top UZS casinos below.
When Uzbekistan was in the Soviet Union, the Soviet ruble was used, albeit called the “som” in some regions, such as Uzbekistan. Meaning “pure”, this name was chosen as new currency when Uzbekistan won independence from the former Soviet Union. It debuted in 1993 but was swiftly replaced by a second so’om a year later, with smaller denominations. Today, the currency floats (having been tethered to the US dollar until 2017) and is now worth around 7,700 to the dollar. This has not gone so well, so the Uzbekistan authorities have begun to put limits on how much of the currency foreigners can buy.
Unsurprisingly in a country with a small population, there is not a large following for so’m in the online gambling world. Nonetheless, it is possible to find a few UZS online casinos that offer it. Because of the limited availability of Uzbekistani so’m casinos, many of those who do wish to gamble may choose to play at USD or RUB online casinos instead.
Uzbekistan – like many Islamic countries – does not permit gambling. However, because this is a small country that is not renowned for digital technology, the authorities do not hunt down Uzbekistanis who gamble at offshore sites – they are unlikely to be caught. Many nationals choose to use either US dollars or Russian rubles to bet, just in case, though. Foreign nationals playing at international casinos can, in theory, used UZS to deposit, but the availability of this currency has been dwindling internationally since 2017, making it harder for them to do so.