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Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has put forward a proposal to President Vladimir Putin to lift the country’s long‑standing ban on online casinos, arguing that legalization could help fill a widening gap in the federal budget.
The ministry sees gambling revenues as a way to ease financial strain caused by falling oil prices and the rising costs of the war in Ukraine acording to reports in Kommersant. Officials believe that legal online casinos could generate around 100 billion rubles (€1.1 billion) each year for the state.
Illegal gambling continues to thrive in Russia
Online casinos have been banned in Russia since 2009, yet the market has continued to grow outside official regulation. The Finance Ministry estimates that turnover in the legal betting sector, which covers licensed bookmakers and totalizators, reached 1.7 trillion rubles ($22.2 billion) in 2024.
The illegal market is even larger, with roughly 100 unlicensed platforms operating and a total value of about 3 trillion rubles (€32.7 billion). Siluanov is pushing to bring this activity under oversight with his proposal.
30%+ tax proposed
The Finance Ministry’s plan puts tax at the center. Online casinos would have to pay at least 30% of their revenue after winnings are paid out, with the money sent to the state every month. The Unified Gambling Regulator, known as ERAI, would be in charge of running this system.
The proposal also adds new rules for players. Only people aged 21 and older would be allowed to use online casinos, raising the limit from the current age of 18 in Russia’s gambling zones. Operators, together with ERAI, would need to set up measures to help stop gambling addiction.
Alongside this, federal authorities, the Central Bank, and ERAI would work to block illegal casino websites and stop financial transactions linked to unlicensed operators.
Mixed reactions to new proposal
The plan to legalise online casinos has drawn very different responses across Russia. Leading bookmakers welcomed the idea, saying it would bring the country closer to international standards and give regulators stronger tools to oversee the sector.
They argued that a clear and uniform system could help the market grow in a more mature way, while also delivering social and financial benefits.
However, the Russian Orthodox Church voiced strong opposition. Senior figures warned that legalization could undermine traditional values and deepen problems with gambling addiction.
Vakhtang Kipshidze, deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Synodal Department for Relations with Society and the Media, described gambling behaviour as “obsessive” and said any financial gain would come at the cost of Russian families.
“It’s understandable that finance ministries are always looking for new revenue,” Kipshidze stated on Telegram. “But in this case, the money would be taken from families who already have, or will develop, gambling addictions.”
He also linked the proposal to wider demographic concerns, arguing that easier access to online casinos could worsen declining birth rates and an ageing population. Kipshidze called on the government to tightly control rather than expand online gambling in the country.
