In a recent interview, Kazakh lawmaker Aidos Sarym explained why Kazakhstan is considering licensing fortune tellers.
Asked whether he had ever consulted a fortune teller himself, Sarym said no, adding that he does not even believe in fairy tales, much less fortune telling. Still, he acknowledged that some members of society use such services. In his view, introducing reasonable restrictions and state oversight would be preferable to leaving the industry unregulated.
«At least let it stay within reasonable limits so that it does not lead to tragic consequences,» Sarym said. «Let them pay taxes. Let the treasury benefit.»
Notably, according to official data, astrologers, fortune tellers, spiritualists, esoteric practitioners and psychics reported revenue of 39.1 million tenge (about $87,000) in 2023. In 2024, they declared more than 2.9 billion tenge in income, or roughly $6 million.
