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Are we building a "Silicon Valley" or an addiction factory?

Hello, dear AstanaHub members!

No one will argue: the gaming industry is a giant market, a locomotive of technological progress and a huge field for creative self-realization. The desire of AstanaHub and the state to support Kazakhstani developers and help them enter the world stage is an initiative that, at first glance, deserves only applause.

Our guys' victories at international esports tournaments are a source of pride. But behind the glitter of medals and success reports, there is another, shadowy side, which is not customary to talk about in high offices.

The side that brings grief to tens of thousands of Kazakhstani families. Her name is gambling addiction.

Gambling addiction is not a "childish prank", but a diagnosis.

Let's speak in the language of facts. The World Health Organization (WHO) has not only recognized the existence of gambling addiction, but has officially included "Gaming disorder" in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

It's not just a "hobby." This is a condition characterized by a violation of control over the gameplay, an increase in the priority of the game over other life interests and daily activities, as well as the continuation or escalation of the game, despite the occurrence of negative consequences.

Neurobiological studies show that the mechanisms of gambling addiction formation are in many ways similar to those of alcoholism or drug addiction - they are also tied to the brain's reward system and dopamine loops. The only difference is that the "dose" is not the chemical, but the game itself.

Statistics that cannot be ignored

One can often hear the opinion that only a few become addicted.

This is a dangerous misconception.

  • According to various estimates, from 2% to 4% of gamblers are affected by gambling disorder. Some studies covering teenagers and young people show figures of up to 10%.
  • Even if we take the most conservative estimate of 2% of the number of young gamers in Kazakhstan (and there are millions of them), we will get tens of thousands of young people who are at risk or already have a disorder.

Unfortunately, there are practically no official statistics on gambling addiction in Kazakhstan. But we can all see the scale of the national problem of ludomania (gambling). Thousands of broken families, debts, despair. Gambling addiction is an addiction of the same order. She also steals their children's parents, their future from the young, and the country's human capital.

Single tournament prizes or the grief of tens of thousands of parents?

When we encourage the industry at the state level and with the help of hubs like ours, we are responsible for its consequences. Pride in the victories of ten people at "esports" tournaments should not drown out the silence in the rooms where hundreds of thousands of our young people play from morning to night, dreaming of impossible things and bringing grief to their parents.

In pursuit of the creation of the Kazakh Witcher, we risk getting a generation of infantile, 30 and 40-year-olds lost in virtual worlds who never grew up. By supporting GameDev, we must ask ourselves an honest question: are we investing in the future of the country or in the development of a new, socially dangerous problem in the future?

What to do? Abandoning GameDev is not an option.

I believe that our path is responsible development!

Banning or ignoring GameDev is a path to nowhere. But supporting him thoughtlessly is irresponsible.

The way out is to create a culture of responsible development (Responsible Game Desingn).

  • Research instead of silence. AstanaHub, as the country's main IT hub, could initiate the first large-scale study in Kazakhstan on the impact of games on the mental health of young people. We need real numbers and an understanding of the problem.
  • Education for developers. It is necessary to introduce modules on addiction psychology and ethics into training programs for game designers and developers. The developer must understand which mechanics (loot boxes, endless quests, "grid", social pressure) are the most addictive, and be able to create exciting games without using these "twists". 
  • Support for ethical projects. Grants and support should primarily go to those studios that, in their philosophy, lay down the principles of responsible play: respect for the player's time, the absence of manipulative mechanics, and the availability of self-monitoring tools (session timers).
  • Education for parents. We need simple and understandable materials for parents on how to distinguish a healthy hobby from an incipient addiction and where to seek help.

Conclusion

Back in the late twentieth century, Dr. Hamer criticized official medicine, saying that doctors consider the Creator to be a "crooked-armed fraudster" and themselves to be those who correct his mistakes. To paraphrase, we in the IT industry should not become the same "arrogant creators" who believe that they can create worlds without regard for the consequences, then correcting social "bugs" with great value.

Yes, our startup is Shaman AI (https://shaman-ai.kz ) also about "bugs", but about those that a person has already introduced to himself, and we only give him a tool for introspection. We don't create new "bugs".

I urge the entire IT community of Kazakhstan, and first of all the leadership of AstanaHub, to look at the development of GemeDev not only through the prism of commercial success, but also through the prism of enormous social responsibility. Let's build an industry that can be proud of not only for its income, but also for its humanity.

I will be glad to hear your opinion on this topic.

#AstanaHub #GameDev #ResponsibleGaming #MentalHealth # Social Responsibility

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Daulet Baimurza

June 16, 2025 10:39

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