Russia is stepping up its fight against illegal online gambling by shortening enforcement response times.
Earlier this month, the State Duma — the lower house of the Federal Assembly — adopted legislative amendments allowing the Federal Tax Service to more quickly block websites promoting online gambling.
Under the new rules, the Federal Tax Service must review requests from the Unified Gambling Regulator to identify resources violating Russian law within two working days. Previously, this process could take up to five days.
Maxim Topilin, Chairman of the Committee on Economic Policy, stated: “It is expected that this step will contribute to a more effective fight against the shadow gambling sector, strengthening trust in state-regulated platforms and improving the overall level of security in the digital space.”
Online casinos are prohibited in Russia, while online sports betting is permitted only through a limited number of licensed operators. Despite this, the country maintains a large illegal online casino market, estimated at approximately RUB 3 trillion ($35 billion) annually.
According to Russian news outlet Kommersant, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov initiated discussions on legalizing online casinos in early 2026.
However, as of now, it remains unclear how President Vladimir Putin has responded to the proposal, given his previously firm anti-gambling stance.
Siluanov noted that legalization could unlock the sector’s economic potential and generate around RUB 100 billion ($1.05 billion) annually through a proposed 30% tax.
Russian authorities continue their systematic efforts to combat the illegal gambling market, including increasing pressure on crypto payment services linked to the shadow sector.
Additionally, the State Duma has passed legislation to create a centralized national self-exclusion registry, which all operators must check when registering new users.
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