Russian law enforcement has shut down an illegal casino in Yevpatoria (Crimea) disguised as a computer club. According to local media, a local resident, together with two accomplices, rented a basement and equipped it for gambling, including installing computers for virtual slots.
The venue operated between July 2024 and January 2025, earning the organisers around 112,000 rubles (≈£1,000).
The suspects have been charged with organising illegal gambling activities, and the case will be heard in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Simferopol.
Despite the relatively small scale of the operation, the case highlights the continued presence of the black market.
Back in May, videos circulated on Telegram showing mass arrests as part of a crackdown on a network of underground casinos. The operation was carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB, and the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Republic of Sakha. The footage showed bundles of cash being seized. In total, 16 members of the gang were arrested, including two leaders.
Alongside direct enforcement measures, Russian authorities are developing plans to block illegal operators and websites, as well as restrict the use of cryptocurrency for online gambling transactions.
“The problem of illegal gambling can be solved in two ways: the first is blocking websites and applications, the second is blocking cryptocurrency payments,” said Evgeny Masharov, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber spearheading new regulatory initiatives.
“Gamification has become a trend, and the simplicity and convenience of games attract new users. The legal bookmaker market is losing out to illegal operators, since the latter have no requirements for identification or age verification,” Masharov added in an interview with TASS.
At the heart of the proposed measures is the goal of improving transparency and strengthening oversight of the black market. Masharov added that he was confident the regulatory regime could be “fine-tuned” following further discussions.
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