Is online gambling legal in Russia?

Legal overview

Gambling in Russia is governed by Federal Law No. 244-FZ of 29 December 2006 on the state regulation of gambling. Article 5(3) prohibits organising gambling over information and telecommunication networks, including the internet, and by means of communication. The only exception is the acceptance of interactive bets by licensed bookmakers and totalisators under the conditions of the law, which route player transfers through a central accounting body and, under later amendments, the Unified Gambling Regulator. Online casino games and online poker therefore have no legal basis. Land-based casinos may operate only in five gambling zones, located in the Republic of Crimea, Altai Krai, Krasnodar Krai, Primorsky Krai and Kaliningrad Oblast.

The Federal Tax Service carries out state supervision of gambling. Its report on 2025 enforcement counted 22 companies running bookmakers or totalisators and 8 running gambling in the zones as of 31 December 2025. Only persons aged 18 or over may take part in gambling, under Article 4 of the law.

Enforcement targets the money flows and websites of illegal operators. Article 5.1 restricts transfers to illegal gambling organisers, and banks, payment agents and telecom operators may not contract with persons on the official lists of those who receive such transfers. The law also gives the supervising authority powers to identify the domain names of sites used for illegal gambling so that access can be restricted. For players this means that deposits to offshore casinos can be blocked and that no Russian authority protects them on such sites. Federal Law No. 575-FZ of 29 December 2025, reported to apply from 1 September 2026, lets people place themselves on a self-exclusion list for at least twelve months.