Dec
16th

Russia Clamps Down on Online Gambling

Subsequent to Russia shutting down its land based casinos on 1st July, 2009 and restricting gambling to four specific zones in regions that are rarely visited in the country computer clubs in Russia gained lots of popularity.

However the Russian government has now decided to clamp down on the “computer clubs” by going after online gamblers.

After the ban in 2009, the number of “computer clubs” rose from 23 to 98 in Moscow alone with many of them offering access to online poker and casino and which are still believed to be operating illegally despite all efforts to shut them down.

A new bill was recently sponsored by Ivan Sawidi from Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party stating that online poker players who wager outside of the four specific zones outlined in the legislation of 2009 should be fined between 500 and 2000 roubles ($15/$65).

Sawidi feels that whereas the law previously concentrated on suppliers of gambling it is now the gamblers themselves who are being held responsible.

The bill was also backed by Irina Tulubyeva, a Russian lawyer, who believes that the monetary and moral consequences of online gambling will help them in their effort to reduce the number of players who are willing to participate. Although the main punishment will be given to the organizers ofonline gambling, the players themselves are becoming partners in crime.

Russia has also introduced a second bill in an attempt to better define “slot machine” so as to prevent people from exploiting loopholes in Russia’s gambling laws and restricting them to inside the specified gaming zones.

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