The key facts

  • The entrepreneur claims that in a year and a half he lost 300 thousand dollars, and his debt exceeded 200 thousand dollars
  • According to him, the organizers studied clients' solvency and lent them money, taking cars and equipment as collateral for the debt
  • He was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment and spent 14 months in custody; he also claims that Paynet points in Andijan region earn 8–10% on topping up casino accounts

The story of an entrepreneur caught in the 'trap' of online gambling

The outlet Kun.uz published the story of an entrepreneur born in 1985 from Altynkul district of Andijan region who was engaged in ice cream production. According to him, before becoming addicted to gambling he had a successful business, property and savings. In 2020 he began playing online casinos with friends at a shop that had opened in his mahalla, betting 100–200 dollars at a time. In 2023 a neighbor named Kosim (the name was changed by the editorial board) offered him to play at an online casino he ran. Initially he won 90 million sums, but he was not allowed to withdraw the winnings, citing a lack of cash.

The recruitment scheme and 'debt bondage'

The outlet's interlocutor claims that the organizers study the client in advance: his home, car, cash and even the income of relatives, in order to determine up to what amount he can be 'credited' for play. According to his account, he was constantly lent money and invited to lavish feasts at the office, being kept as a regular client. In a year and a half, he says, he lost 300 thousand dollars in cash, after which he began borrowing money. When the debt reached 10 thousand dollars, Kosim's partner named Aziz (name changed) suggested buying a Malibu car: for the car, valued at 25 thousand dollars, with the condition of repayment within a year, he received 50 thousand dollars, of which 25 thousand went to him and the rest was lost. Then, using the same scheme through a 'deal', a Cobalt and a Gentra were processed, until he had to sell his ice cream production machines.

Breakdowns, debts and a criminal case

According to his account, in December 2023 he quit gambling and did not play until February 2024, but then returned to it and lost another 70 thousand dollars or so, borrowing from acquaintances who were entrepreneurs. On 20 March 2024 he stopped again, when his debt, according to him, exceeded 200 thousand dollars. He claims that the organizers threatened him, came with a knife to his home and to his workplace. Aziz, according to the interlocutor, forced him to write a receipt for a loan of 100 thousand dollars 'for the purchase of sugar' with repayment within two years and to record a video about it, and 25 days later filed a complaint against him with the internal affairs bodies, stating that he had not received the money. A pre-trial detention measure was applied; at the trial the receipt and the video recording were accepted as evidence.

Sentence and release

The chronology in the publication contains discrepancies: the interlocutor says he was detained on 10 December 2023, and on 4 April 2024 was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment, after which from June 2024 he served his sentence in a colony near Karshi. At the same time, he also claims that he spent 14 months in custody and on 20 February (the year is not specified) was released after Aziz testified in court that he had received full compensation for the damage and had no claims. He adds that in three years he has still not been able to fully escape this scheme, and that the persons, according to him, involved in his recruitment and conviction are now, as he claims, pressuring his relatives, and he asks the competent authorities to provide him with legal assistance.

Appeal to the authorities and claims about Paynet

Kun.uz's interlocutor appealed to the government and relevant organizations with a request to take measures against the spread of online gambling, calling it an 'epidemic' that draws in primarily young people. According to him, a significant part of the points operating under the Paynet brand in Andijan region are engaged in topping up online casino accounts: if they earn 1–2% on phone top-ups, then from topping up gaming accounts they earn 8–10%. He also claims that many people mired in debt because of gambling hide it out of shame, and he calls for a nationwide fight against this addiction. These claims are given on the words of the publication's protagonist; there are no confirmations or refutations from Paynet or state bodies in the material.