Kremlin Reviews Proposal to Legalise Online Casinos Nationwide

Russian officials are weighing a proposal that would reverse a long standing ban on online gambling. The idea surfaced after the finance ministry outlined a plan that could channel gambling revenue directly into the federal budget.

Good to Know

• Online gambling has been illegal in Russia since 2009
• The proposal calls for a single state controlled operator
• Estimates suggest annual budget inflows near 100 billion rubles

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has reportedly asked President Vladimir Putin to legalise online gambling across Russia. According to Kommersant, the proposal centres on creating a single authorised operator that would transfer “at least 30% of revenue after winnings” to the government each month.

Under the outline shared with Putin, the finance ministry estimates the system could generate about 100 billion rubles per year, roughly US$1.3 billion. Supporters inside government circles describe the plan as a way to bring underground gambling activity into a regulated framework while creating a new source of public revenue.

Advocates also argue legal online gambling could weaken the black market. They point to potential player safeguards, including identity checks and tools designed to limit harmful play, as reasons regulation would improve oversight compared with the current illegal landscape.

Critics remain unconvinced. Many frame the proposal as a fiscal response to the cost of the war in Ukraine, which will enter a fourth year in February. According to RBC Ukraine, the conflict has already cost the Russian government more than 42 trillion rubles. The outlet described the sum as “equivalent to 24 annual federal budgets for higher education in Russia or 22 annual healthcare budgets.”

Human losses have also continued to mount. A recent study from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates military casualties on both sides could reach 2 million by spring.

Russia current gambling framework allows land based casinos only in designated zones. Those include Primorye Krai near Vladivostok, where venues such as Tigre de Cristal and Shambala operate. The Finance Ministry values the legal casino sector at roughly 1.7 trillion rubles per year.

Online gambling, however, remains banned nationwide. Despite that restriction, underground activity has grown. The Moscow Times reports the illegal online gambling market generates around 3 trillion rubles in annual turnover, with about 100 unlicensed platforms active.

Opponents of legalisation warn that expanding access to online casinos could harm vulnerable groups. Concerns focus on people with limited income and older residents who may struggle to absorb financial losses.

“Legalisation … is one of the tools to counteract the illegal market, but not the only one,” said Vasily Riy, executive director of the Association for the Protection of the Rights of Gambling and Lottery Participants. “Legalisation in many countries in various forms shows that, in the absence of proper state control, the effect can be the opposite.”

Alongside domestic debate, questions have emerged about Russian intentions in occupied areas of Ukraine. The National Resistance Centre, which operates under the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, claims Russia may introduce online casinos in temporarily occupied territories as “a tool of war financing.”

According to the NRC, such plans would rely on “the forced participation of the population.” The group describes the approach as another example of “exploitation of the occupied territories,” arguing it would pressure Ukrainian civilians to financially support the occupation under Kremlin oversight.

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