Russia May Legalize Online Casinos Next Month, Says Industry Insiders

(AsiaGameHub) –   Senior figures in the gambling industry believe Russian regulators could authorize online casinos as early as April, potentially allowing citizens to place bets online starting in May.

According to the Russian media outlet Vyberu, analysts state the Kremlin is seeking methods to manage its finances and views casino taxation as a crucial new source of income.

An anonymous executive from a major Russian bookmaker informed Vyberu that the Ministry of Finance aims to finalize its contentious proposal to legalize the industry by late April.

Under the ministry’s heavily criticized proposal, prospective operators would be required to obtain licenses. These operators would pay taxes equal to 30% of their yearly profits, after deducting player winnings.

According to ministry estimates, this would increase state revenue by 100 billion rubles (approximately $1.2 billion) each year.

Will Russia Legalize Online Casinos?

Online casinos were prohibited in Russia in 2009. However, the ministry reports that citizens spend “hundreds of billions of rubles every year” on online slot platforms based abroad.

The ministry claims it has limited ability to shut down these sites. Roskomnadzor, the government’s communications watchdog and censorship body, has attempted to block access to online casinos.

But the ministry asserts that operators create new mirror sites and duplicate servers “more quickly than authorities can monitor them.”

Russia’s budget shortfall is expanding rapidly. Financial authorities had established a deficit limit of 3.79 trillion rubles for 2026. Yet, this threshold was already 91% reached by February’s end, the outlet reported.

The outlet attributed much of this to a 50% drop in oil and gas income.

Sergey Shvedov, Editor-in-Chief of the Russian gambling news site Legalbet, told the outlet he expects a “positive resolution” on legalization “soon.”

“The ministry is working in a difficult environment,” Shvedov stated. “The budget deficit is increasing at a rapid pace.”

If reports of the ministry aiming to accelerate its plan are accurate, he remarked, “we are in for a hot April. Not just climatically, but legislatively as well.”

Shvedov argued: “Right now, you can play roulette on illegal offshore sites. They might not pay out winnings, but Russian casinos would be legally bound to pay.”

Words of Warning

Some sector analysts, however, have advised a cautious approach.

Oleg Davydov, Executive Director of the First Self-Regulatory Organization of Russian Bookmakers, which represents leading licensed bookmakers, said legalization might be a drawn-out and complex procedure.

“A decision to legalize casinos is not a minor detail in a document,” he explained. “It must be a federal law or a set of amendments to current laws. The draft law must be presented to the State Duma. It must then pass three readings and gain the Federation Council’s consent. Only after that can the President endorse it.”

The industry will only become fully engaged once the government releases the final bill text, Davydov noted. “Until that happens, all discussion on this topic is merely speculation.”

Shvedov mentioned the government could employ current age-verification systems to stop underage online gambling. However, legal specialists have raised concerns about this previously.

Lawmakers have proposed setting the minimum age for online casino access at 21.

Russian attorney Olga Fedorova recently stated that without a “strong” age-verification system, the goal of keeping those under 21 from betting online would be “merely a theoretical concept.”