Fines of up to 7 million rubles may be introduced in Russia for advertising illegal online casinos. This was reported by Izvestia, citing a bill prepared by deputies of the State Duma.
The initiative aims to combat the spread of gambling on the Internet, which causes an increase in the number of addicts. According to the Ministry of Health, the diagnosis of "pathological attraction to gambling" is being made more and more often, with young people, including minors, being the most vulnerable group. In the Central Federal District alone, more than 3.5 million attempts to access prohibited resources by students are recorded weekly.
The bill provides for the introduction of a separate article in the Code of Administrative Offenses for violation of the requirements for advertising gambling. For citizens, fines will range from 100 to 500 thousand rubles, for officials - up to 1.5 million rubles, for legal entities - up to 7 million rubles. In addition, it is proposed to confiscate equipment used to promote such services.
Special attention is paid to advertising on the Internet. Organizers of illegal casinos often use bloggers and streamers who demonstrate "winnings" and post referral links. For example, in 2024, one of the bloggers received 300 million rubles for broadcasting a game in an online casino, which attracted 700 thousand viewers.
Experts support the tightening of measures. Federation Council Committee Member Vadim Dengin noted that blocking sites is ineffective due to the rapid appearance of "mirrors", so financial sanctions should be the key measure.
Currently, advertising of bookmakers and sweepstakes is allowed in Russia, but online casinos are prohibited. The turnover of the legal betting market in 2024 reached 1.8 trillion rubles, while the share of the illegal sector is estimated at 35–40%. The bill aims to reduce this trend and protect citizens from risks.
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