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Read Full BioThe Russian finance ministry is considering a proposal to exempt legal gambling venues, such as permit-holding casinos and bookmakers, from on-site inspections.
Moscow has previously issued a moratorium on inspections in the sector. However, the Russian newspaper Izvestia reported that legal casinos and bookmakers want the authorities to end on-site checks.
Most forms of gambling are prohibited in Russia. However, the Federal Tax Service has granted operating permits to a small number of bookmaking firms. Licensed bookmakers can offer odds on sports, provided they donate at least 5% of their revenue to Russian grassroots sports development projects.
The country has also created special gambling zones in Sochi, Altai, Kaliningrad, and Primorye. These host the nation’s five permit-holding casinos.
Russian Casino Inspections: Moscow May Do Away With Checks
At present, Russian law stipulates that gambling organizers are subject to regular and ad hoc on-site inspections. However, bookmakers and casinos claim this harms the rights and legitimate interests of businesses operating in the sector.
The Russian gambling regulator says that betting is rising in the nation. The body said the volume of bets accepted by regulated bookmakers in 2024 hit the 1.7 trillion ruble ($20.6 billion) mark. The regulator added that this marks a 40% year-on-year rise. It also claimed that footfall at legal Russian casinos is on the rise.
The biggest casinos are seeing annual customer numbers rise by around 10%, with some welcoming over 2.1 million visitors.
Deputy Finance Minister Ivan Chebeskov said earlier this year that Russia’s gambling taste has become a concern.
However, legal gambling firms are ready to make concessions to Moscow. Lawmakers want casinos and bookmakers to do more to bar minors from making bets.
They also want to ensure that casinos and bookmakers in the country do not allow people with a certain level of debt to place bets.
Russian Restrictions: Casinos, Bookmakers Must Adhere to Advertising Rules
Moscow has also imposed advertising restrictions on the sector. Bookmakers can only air their television ads during sports matches or late at night.
Gambling-related ads are also banned online, except for sports-related websites. Legal experts told the newspaper that Russian regulators are increasingly avoiding on-site inspections. These inspections, they said, place a heavy administrative burden on the private sector.
However, one academic claimed that regulators will retain the power to visit on-site in exceptional circumstances.
Anastasia Melnikova, a senior lecturer at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, said: “If regulators suspect a threat to the well-being of citizens or the state, they may schedule a [visit]. They can intervene in cases where, for example, they suspect there may have been incidents of employee labor rights violations.”
In late April, Russia’s casinos reported that they expect to host around 100,000 guests during the nation’s early May holidays.
