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“Prayer Helps Better Than a Psychologist” : Islam, Capitalism, and Gambling Addiction in Kazakhstan

Urinboyev, Rustam LU ; Buribayev, Yermek and Kaldiyarov, Daniyar (2025) In Journal of Gambling Issues p.1-1
Abstract
This article analyses the rapid rise of gambling addiction in Kazakhstan
within the broader context of Central Asia’s evolving gambling economy. Drawing
on ethnographic fieldwork, it shows how digital technologies, regulatory gaps, and
neoliberal reforms have expanded gambling access while deepening its harms.
Official statistics vastly understate the problem, while unofficial estimates suggest
hundreds of thousands are affected. The consequences—family breakdown,
indebtedness, and corruption within public institutions—indicate that gambling
addiction should not be seen merely as an individual pathology but as a structural
vulnerability embedded in digital capitalism and fragile governance. A... (More)
This article analyses the rapid rise of gambling addiction in Kazakhstan
within the broader context of Central Asia’s evolving gambling economy. Drawing
on ethnographic fieldwork, it shows how digital technologies, regulatory gaps, and
neoliberal reforms have expanded gambling access while deepening its harms.
Official statistics vastly understate the problem, while unofficial estimates suggest
hundreds of thousands are affected. The consequences—family breakdown,
indebtedness, and corruption within public institutions—indicate that gambling
addiction should not be seen merely as an individual pathology but as a structural
vulnerability embedded in digital capitalism and fragile governance. A key
contribution of this study is its focus on religion, particularly Islam, as an
underexplored dimension of coping. Practices such as prayer, fasting, and mosque-
based support provide culturally embedded repertoires of resilience, often
perceived as more effective than secular therapy. Yet these strategies prove fragile
under mounting debts, family obligations, and social pressures, underscoring the
need for complementary measures. The article therefore calls for integrated
responses that combine faith-based, clinical, and structural interventions. By
situating Kazakhstan’s experience within global debates, it advances a pluralistic,
context-sensitive framework that moves beyond Western secular models and
offers fresh insights into gambling addiction in Muslim-majority and post-socialist
societies. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
gambling addiction, Kazakhstan, Islam, capitalism
in
Journal of Gambling Issues
pages
25 pages
ISSN
1910-7595
DOI
10.4309/ONSY5370
project
Multilevel Orders of Corruption in Central Asia
MARS: Non-Western Migration Regimes in a Global Perspective
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3842f112-563c-4db9-ae16-ec9e3e9557fa
date added to LUP
2025-11-05 09:41:03
date last changed
2025-11-05 16:31:46
@article{3842f112-563c-4db9-ae16-ec9e3e9557fa,
  abstract     = {{This article analyses the rapid rise of gambling addiction in Kazakhstan<br/>within the broader context of Central Asia’s evolving gambling economy. Drawing<br/>on ethnographic fieldwork, it shows how digital technologies, regulatory gaps, and<br/>neoliberal reforms have expanded gambling access while deepening its harms.<br/>Official statistics vastly understate the problem, while unofficial estimates suggest<br/>hundreds of thousands are affected. The consequences—family breakdown,<br/>indebtedness, and corruption within public institutions—indicate that gambling<br/>addiction should not be seen merely as an individual pathology but as a structural<br/>vulnerability embedded in digital capitalism and fragile governance. A key<br/>contribution of this study is its focus on religion, particularly Islam, as an<br/>underexplored dimension of coping. Practices such as prayer, fasting, and mosque-<br/>based support provide culturally embedded repertoires of resilience, often<br/>perceived as more effective than secular therapy. Yet these strategies prove fragile<br/>under mounting debts, family obligations, and social pressures, underscoring the<br/>need for complementary measures. The article therefore calls for integrated<br/>responses that combine faith-based, clinical, and structural interventions. By<br/>situating Kazakhstan’s experience within global debates, it advances a pluralistic,<br/>context-sensitive framework that moves beyond Western secular models and<br/>offers fresh insights into gambling addiction in Muslim-majority and post-socialist<br/>societies.}},
  author       = {{Urinboyev, Rustam and Buribayev, Yermek and Kaldiyarov, Daniyar}},
  issn         = {{1910-7595}},
  keywords     = {{gambling addiction; Kazakhstan; Islam; capitalism}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  pages        = {{1--1}},
  series       = {{Journal of Gambling Issues}},
  title        = {{“Prayer Helps Better Than a Psychologist” : Islam, Capitalism, and Gambling Addiction in Kazakhstan}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4309/ONSY5370}},
  doi          = {{10.4309/ONSY5370}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}