Russian online casinos for Real Money

Russia’s gambling laws date back to 2006, with the current bill being Federal Law N 244-FZ. What this law states is that gambling is illegal in Russia, save for a few specific locations and options. All casinos active in 2009 were closed unless they were based in one of the four (now five) regions permitted under the gambling act. These regions include Yantarnaya, Krasnaya Polyana, Siberia Coin, Primorskiy Kray, and most recently, in Crimea. However, Crimea is disputed, and there are not currently any venues active in the annexed territory.

In 2006, Russia moved to ban online gambling. Furthermore, in 2015, Roskomnadzor started to blacklist online casinos and gambling sites. However, as many Russians simply decided to use VPNs to access offshore sites and play at cryptocurrency casinos, the authorities changed their tune. The U-turn (in 2016 under Federal Law No. 244) makes it legal to gamble at sites licensed by Russia.

Russia’s state-owned lottery has its own website (both for lottery games and bingo) and is subject to different rules than the rest of the betting industry. It is also worth noting that Russians who continue to play at offshore (unlicensed) sites are fined. Russia has decided to attempt to fine offshore operators who cater to Russians, but naturally, this is near-impossible to do. As of 2022, with the war against Ukraine, Russian authorities have blocked all financial transactions to offshore betting sites, leaving many Russians turning to crypto-friendly casinos to bet.

The Russian Ministry of Finance has the final say over licenses in the Russian Federation. Land-based gambling licenses can be awarded to operators if they are a legal entity in Russia, have at least €7 million in the bank, and have at least eighty (brand-new) slot machines and games. They must, of course, also be based in one of the five recognised gambling zones.

Online gambling licenses are issued by the Federal Tax Service, not the Ministry of Finance. Technically, operators can only obtain a sports betting or tote license, not one for casino games. They will also need over €17 million in the bank. Curiously, each site must be self-regulatory, which is never a good thing, as it ensures that each Russian betting site has different levels of regulation, some far laxer than others.

The regulation and licensing procedures in Russia are quite messy. As a result of this (and other rather obvious reasons), many of the world’s mainstream operators have chosen to stay out of this market. Rather than risk potential fines, they tend to cut off Russian players entirely.

Russian players are inclined to wager on sports betting and online casino games above all other forms of gambling options. Slots are popular in Russia, as are table games, particularly those relating to cards. A handful of Russian language live dealer games can also be played at the best Russian betting sites.

It is worth noting that precious few software providers (of any real renown) are based in Russia. Instead, Russian sites tend to feature software from offshore casino software providers. Some sites feature relatively mid-ranking developers’ games, while others opt for the major names in the industry, such as Playtech and NetEnt. However, given the self-regulation rules in the Russian gambling sphere, it is not immediately apparent who regulates those games and ensures that they are RNG-certified.

Russian betting sites are typically reserved for Russian players. However, there are instances of them accepting players from outside the country. These casinos and sportsbooks are notable for featuring the Russian rouble as their currency, and they often provide gameplay in Russian and English. Despite the presence of these legal and licensed Russian betting sites, many Russians still choose to gamble at offshore casinos.

Offshore casinos in Russia may also provide gameplay in Russian, and there is no shortage of sites accepting the rouble as their currency of chance. However, this currency has lost a lot of its value in 2022, and Russians may choose to gamble using US dollars – there are plenty of offshore sites accepting that currency. Cryptocurrency casinos are on the rise in Russia, and most will accept players from the country. However, these aren’t dedicated to Russian players, so gameplay is often only available in English.