Online Gambling Laws in Russia
Updated: 2025
Russia is not a nation that welcomes gambling. A law enacted in 2006 made online gambling illegal. A subsequent law in 2009 declared that all forms of gambling, with a few specified exceptions, were illegal. The 2009 law allowed gambling only in four designated zones, but it did not permit any form of online gambling. Nevertheless, many Russians continue to place bets on sporting events through unlicensed offshore operators.
The Russian government also has a blacklist of websites that all ISPs must block. The blacklist contains sites that are pornographic, promote criminal activity, and, of course, are related to gambling. The censorship program is highly imperfect and only as good as the people working it. However, it does make access to some forms of internet gambling by Russian residents pretty tough.
It wasn't always this bad. Before 2006, the majority of international gambling websites were open to Russians. There were even companies based in Russia that served citizens in this area. However, in 2006, Russia updated its laws to ban internet gaming and to limit and control access to casino websites, poker sites, and sportsbooks.
Placing online bets in Russia is still possible; however, it is not a simple task. The blacklist of ISPs in Russia does an impressive job of censoring the essential components of most online sportsbooks; apps like ExpressVPN can only get you so far. The most recent update to this list of forbidden sites came in 2014, but it is continually updated to include essential parts of websites that might still allow Russians access to the sites.
Many of the sites on the black list still offer their services to Russian players. The only problem is that most of those players can't even access the websites today. So, the onus is on the players to find a way to log on.
Is it Legal to Play Online in Russia?
There is little danger for Russians to stake their fortunes on the web. The printed law says that one can be fined for gambling online, but it looks very much like a law that exists to be ignored. Russian law enforcement now seems to be going after those who operate gambling sites and those who run underground betting operations. Individual bettors seem to have little to worry about.
The largest problem you'll encounter is figuring out how to get around the ISP blacklist. As we stated above, the blacklist is comprehensive and updated on a regular basis. However, players have informed us that the block does not yet extend to poker software. So, if you already possess the PokerStars software, for example, you can still reach the tables and play for real money.
Gamers have said that they have no difficulty in either putting money into their gambling accounts or taking their winnings out. That's a positive sign, but we wouldn't advise anyone to count on it for very long. The Russian government looks set to crack down and fully enforce the An online information business that provided gambling software was sued by the Russian government. In attempting to justify their case against the business, prosecutors cut to the heart of the matter and said that the very presence of the information business constituted a form of gambling. As the prosecutors saw it, the business was a gateway to making illegal bets and thus a prime target for the government’s campaign of e-radication. In 2012, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation upheld the prosecutors' view, and the court's ruling has been used since then to justify shutting down both online and brick-and-mortar businesses that serve gamblers. That ruling warning that there shouldn't be any trace of gambling left on the web has hung like a dark cloud over the heads of Russia's information online business sector. We strongly encourage all Russian gamblers to stay updated with the news. At present, there seems to be not much risk involved in just partaking in online gambling, but that could very well change. Russia has demonstrated over and over again that it truly desires to eradicate online gambling altogether.
