Bapi vs. Russian Bookmakers: Who’s Making Billions From Kazakhstan's Gamblers?

Majilis deputy Yermurat Bapi has sent an inquiry to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, FMA head Zhanat Yelimanov, and National Bank chairman Timur Suleimenov, calling on them to review the role of the Unified Accounting System (UAS) in the gambling sector.

According to the deputy, the by-laws accompanying the Law “On Gambling Business” have created a new monopoly in the market — one reminiscent of the Operator ROP. Orda.kz examines how Kazakhstan may be forming a new monopoly and what role Russian business could play in it.

The Inquiry

In his appeal, Bapi claims that the Unified Accounting System, originally intended as a tool to combat gambling addiction and ensure transaction transparency, has effectively turned into an intermediary serving private interests. He argues this has affected state revenues, reducing tax inflows by roughly 110 billion tenge and sponsorship support for sports by about 14 billion tenge annually.

The deputy also points to Nomapay LLP, which he says has “monopolistic control” over the system and is allegedly linked to Russian businessman Umar Kremlev.

What Is The Unified Accounting System?

The UAS is a government IT platform designed to monitor all operations in the gambling industry — including bets, payouts, deposits, withdrawals, and player identification. Its purpose is to allow the state to track financial flows in real time, block vulnerable users, and reduce “grey” cash turnover.

The system records where and how bets are placed, how much is paid out, and which payment channels are used. It automatically transmits data to tax and financial monitoring authorities. The UAS blocks underage players, individuals on the self-exclusion list, and other groups prohibited from gambling by law (for example, certain public officials).

It also enforces limits, verifies identities, and flags suspicious transactions, large cash movements, or attempts to split payments.

How It Works

• System Operator — responsible for system operation, data storage and transfer, and technical support
• Game Organizers (bookmakers, totalizators, etc.) — connect via API and transmit all bets, payouts, and financial movements in real time
• Payment Providers/Banks — identify customers, transmit information on deposits and withdrawals, and synchronize data with the UAS
• Government Agencies (Tax and Financial Monitoring) — receive necessary datasets and conduct audits
• Players — undergo identity verification and set betting limits

Who Controls The Cash?

According to Bapi, the market is being controlled by the private company Nomapay LLP, which, he claims, is connected to Russian billionaire Umar Kremlev, a major figure in Russia’s betting industry.

It’s important to clarify Nomapay’s place in the structure. The operator of the UAS is a state-owned entity — Unified Accounting System Operator LLP, whose founder is the State Property and Privatization Committee under the Ministry of Finance. Nomapay acts as its contractor.

Bapi warns that this arrangement allows Russian business to gain influence over an entire sector of Kazakhstan’s economy — potentially channeling billions of tenge beyond the reach of national tax authorities.

In his inquiry, the deputy calls on the Prime Minister, the FMA, and the National Bank to:

• Eliminate the monopoly powers of the UAS and transfer control and data exchange directly to the Tax Committee and Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA)
• Audit all “unified operators” and quasi-state entities for compliance with market principles
• Task the National Security Committee (KNB) with assessing the risks of foreign influence in Kazakhstan’s gambling industry

Bapi notes that the gambling market’s annual turnover — estimated at 3.9 trillion tenge — increases corruption risks and opens the door to hidden influence over public and political processes.

There has not yet been an official response from the government, the FMA, or the National Bank.

What Is Nomapay?

Nomapay LLP is a relatively new business entity. Officially, it provides “other auxiliary activities in the field of financial services, excluding insurance and pension funding.” It was founded in July 2024 by a single shareholder, Aitym Zhakupov, and is currently headed by Yerik Tanayev.

The company has no recorded debts, court cases, or unpaid taxes. In its first year and three months of operation, it paid 40 million tenge in taxes. Although Nomapay is listed on the state procurement website, it has not been awarded any government contracts — meaning there was no transparent public tender to select a UAS operator.

How exactly Nomapay acquired what are effectively state-level regulatory functions remains unclear.

Athlete-Turned-Entrepreneur

Company founder Aitym Zhakupov is a well-known figure in Kazakhstan — a popular workout athlete, trainer, and blogger, as well as the founder of the JanaMen weight-loss social project. With around 3 million followers on Instagram and a large YouTube audience, he is often called “Kazakhstan’s strongest man” and serves as an ambassador for the national workout movement.

Beyond sports, Zhakupov is involved in several businesses. Public records show that, together with Medet Iskakov, he co-founded Nomatech LLP (consulting on business and management) and Workout Center Aitym Zhakupov LLP (sports and advertising activities).

Notably, Nomatech was registered just a month before Nomapay.

Co-founder Medet Iskakov is an IT professional. According to online.zakon.kz, he previously served as Deputy Chair for Production at the E-finance Center JSC — a state-owned structure fully controlled by the Ministry of Finance, established by the same Committee for State Property and Privatization that owns the UAS.

His LinkedIn profile lists him as CEO of Kazdream Group, an IT holding that develops solutions for the public sector and business in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, AI/voice tech, public safety systems, and integration projects.

The company claims a team of more than 400 specialists and positions itself as one of Central Asia’s leading tech firms.

Based on the timeline, Iskakov left the public sector about a year and a half ago to join the private industry — around the same time he and Zhakupov founded their company. Soon afterward, Zhakupov’s Nomapay became the government’s main contractor in regulating the betting business.

To date, Nomatech LLP has paid only 2.5 million tenge in taxes and has no government contracts, court cases, debts, or licenses.

The Russian Connection

The man mentioned by Bapi, Umar Kremlev, is a Russian sports official who has served since December 12, 2020, as President of the International Boxing Association (IBA, formerly AIBA). He was previously Secretary-General of the Russian Boxing Federation (2017–2020) and First Vice President of the European Boxing Confederation (EUBC).

Although Kremlev is not officially involved in Russia’s betting industry, numerous investigative reports suggest otherwise. Journalists from Proekt found that he became a beneficial owner of three major Russian bookmakers — Fonbet, Pari, and Liga Stavok — through trusted associates.

The same investigation described his ties to powerful lobbying groups and his takeover of assets from previous owners.

In public statements, Kremlev frequently comments on the “legal” betting market and the fight against illegal casinos, referencing the work of the Unified Gambling Regulator (ERAI). While he does not head the ERAI, he is publicly active in discussions about gambling regulation.

Some Kazakh media outlets — and Bapi himself — claim that Nomapay is affiliated with Kremlev or with Russian entities connected to the gambling and payments sector. However, no documentary evidence of such links exists in Kazakhstan’s public registries.

Earlier, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports told Orda.kz why it had decided against adopting a domestic system for tracking bets and payments. Under the new anti-gambling law, bookmakers are required to monitor players listed in the Unified Debtors’ Registry or those who have self-excluded from gambling.

Industry representatives say they lack the capability to do so because the Ministry has refused to implement the domestic system for tracking problem gamblers — even though it has already been developed and would not require any additional costs.

The ministry, however, insisted it would not introduce the domestic platform and instead plans to wait for the launch of the state-run Unified Accounting System (UAS). Officials assured that the UAS would include all the functionality bookmakers need to comply fully with the law.

Original Author: Ilya Astakhov