Russia is home to more than 142 million citizens and has a higher-than-average number of high net-worth individuals. Gambling companies would love to operate more freely within the country. However, the government is very strict about what forms of gambling are permitted.

Despite this, bookmakers shops offering sports betting services continue to operate across the country. Several domestic bookmakers currently operate successful chains of physical betting shops. Online sports betting is allowed in Russia, and a regulatory framework has been in place to support this since 2016. Online casino gambling, however, is prohibited at this time.

Exciting Facts About Betting in Russia

Poker is extremely popular in Russia. The game saw a huge surge in popularity following the collapse of the USSR when Russians became interested in learning about Western culture.
There are more than fifteen licensed Russian online betting sites, all of which are regulated by two competing self-regulatory organizations.
When casino gambling was outlawed across the majority of the Russian nation, 400,000 people lost their jobs overnight.
China is undoubtedly the largest censor of internet traffic in the world. The Russian telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor appears keen to challenge its hold on this title. In 2018, Roskomnadzor added 130,000 international gambling-related domains to a nationwide blacklist.
Some of the largest international gambling operators, such as Bet365, William Hill, and Betsson, allow sports bets from Russian players. However, they prevent them from accessing the online casino pages of their websites.
There is some suggestion that Russia will begin to allow casinos in their four “Subject Areas” to offer online gaming services. It is an attempt to stop Russians from gambling with offshore online casinos.

Gambling Legislation and Laws

The four “Subject Areas” where gambling is permitted in Russia are as follows:

Altai Krai, often referred to as the “Siberian Coin Gambling Zone”, hosts one entertainment complex known as the Altai Palace. The site boasts a casino, a four-star hotel, restaurants, a nightclub, several bars, a gym, and a billiard room.
Krasnodar Krai is located in the South-West of the country and is now known as “Sochi”. There are two casinos in Sochi. The third attraction in Sochi is the Krasnodar Racetrack.
Kaliningrad Oblast, better known as “Yantarnaya”, features just one casino named the Sobranie Casino. At present, there are 350 slot machines as well as many Video Lottery Terminals located on the casino floor. Electronic Roulette games are available, too, as well as 14 live gaming tables offering a mixture of blackjack, roulette and poker.
Primorsky Krai, otherwise known as “Primorye”, is the largest of Russia’s so-called gambling “Subject Areas”. The Russian Government would like to see the Primorsky region become a gambling hub on the same level as Las Vegas or Macau. Whilst several casinos have already been built or are nearing completion, revenues are currently very low.
Crimea is being considered as a fifth Russian gambling subject area. The territory is currently disputed since being annexed by Russia in 2014. The plans for a new gambling zone were approved in 2019 but have been on hold since 2020 due to the pandemic.

Top Online Betting Websites in Russia

Read more info about the best online bookmakers in Russia:

#1 1xBet

1xBet is a Russian gambling company and one of the most popular sites amongst Russian gamblers. They are one of the fifteen online sportsbooks to hold a license from the Russian Government. The company is also regulated by the Curacao gaming authority, which gives them some credibility outside of Russia.

Visit 1xBet

#2 Melbet

Melbet is another Russian operator known to offer some of the best odds of any of the sites holding a Russian license. It’s no coincidence that all three of these brands are Russian companies. When online sports betting was first legalized in Russia, only domestic companies were permitted to apply for a license.

Visit Melbet

#3 BetWinner

BetWinner is a significant player in the Russian online gambling market. They are sticking to their Russian gambling license rules and offer sports betting only on their website.

Visit BetWinner

Competition between Operators

All licensed Russian betting sites have to align themselves with one of two organizations (SROs). The First SRO has greater membership, as they were around first. However, the Bookmakers SRO entered the market second and corrected many of the mistakes made when the First SRO was set up. Many of the larger, more popular sportsbook sites such as Fonbet are members of the Bookmakers SRO.

In the early stages, there was a significant competition between the two SROs as both hoped to become dominant and establish a monopoly. This didn’t happen, and the market appears to have settled into the unusual position of having two regulators. The competition between many the licensed online bookmakers is fierce. Others are happy to collude and set odds between them to compete.

Bonuses from Russian Bookmakers

One or two licensed Russian online sportsbooks offer small no deposit bonuses to new customers, but this is quite a rarity in the country. Deposit match bonuses are much more common. There is quite a range in the size of these bonuses. The rollover amount and minimum required to complete the playthrough requirements vary significantly, too. There are bonuses in the range of up to 50,000 RUB, but predictably this bonus also has the largest rollover requirement and minimum odds. These offers do change regularly because of the strength of competition between Russian online bookmakers. Check our table for the most up-to-date information on Russian sportsbook bonuses.

Betting features and Options in the Russian Bookmakers

We took a look at 1xBet, FonBet, and Winline, the three bookmakers discussed at the top of this page and found all three offered these popular sports betting features:

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	Pre-Match Betting Pre-Match Betting is the most traditional type of sports betting, although in-play betting has become a more popular alternative. Many bookmakers offer better odds to those willing to place bets before starting a contest, so pre-match betting is still a good option.
	E-Sports Betting E-Sports Betting is reasonably new to the Russian market but is extremely popular with the younger generation. Some of the most popular games with Russian gamblers are CS: GO, Dota 2, Starcraft II, Rainbow 6, and FIFA Soccer.
	In-play Betting In-play betting requires quick reflexes, a fast internet connection, and, most importantly, a well-designed user interface that allows you to make decisions quickly. 1xBet offers one of the best in-play betting platforms in Russia, including many live streams.
	Live Streaming Live Streaming is considered essential by many gamblers who wish to participate in in-play gambling on football, tennis, ice hockey, and other sports. Where live streaming is not available, minute-by-minute updates are often used instead.
	Bet Builder Bet Builder functionality allows you to combine many different selections into a single wager. You can mix and match pre-match and in-play betting as well as different sports, and the odds for each of your choices will be multiplied together to give a single, overall price.
	Cash-Out Early Cash-Out allows you to change your mind about a bet you currently have in play without losing all of your potential winnings. Suppose you have combined four different selections into a single wager using the bet builder and no longer wish to gamble your accumulated winnings on the fourth selection. In that case, an early cash-out allows you to do just this.

Available Payment Methods

As long as you stick with the officially regulated Russian betting sites, you will have no issues making deposits and withdrawals. You need to sign up with a centralized payment processing hub in person, known as a TSUPIS, before you can begin to play online.

After you have done this, the following options are available to you:

Bank Cards – the simplest payment method, is very quick and easy to use. The name on your sports betting account must match the name on the card and your TSUPIS registered name for the deposit to be successful.
Mobile Phone Balance – this type of payment is quite popular in some countries where bank accounts are not as common as they are in the West. The amount of the deposit is added to your bill at the end of the month.
QIWI Wallet – this is an e-wallet type service that is largely comparable to Skrill and Neteller. Both of those e-wallets are available in Russia, although they are not supported by TSUPIS. Therefore, they are unavailable for use at regulated online sportsbooks.
Yoomoney (Yandex Money) – a Russian alternative to Paypal, used as a payment gateway on gambling sites, aside from other types of sites. When making a Yoomoney deposit, you will be sent an SMS with a confirmation code to complete the deposit procedure.
Alfa-Bank and Sberbank Online – these services allow you to make deposits directly from your bank account. The minimum deposit when using this method is 100 Rubles, and there are no fees for using the service.
Self-Service Kiosks – if you wish to deposit cash to your online sportsbook account, you can use the QIWI or Telepay terminals. Up to 15,000 rubles can be deposited in this manner, no fees attached.
Cryptocurrency deposits are probably your best bet for playing at offshore gambling sites, but make sure to work out how to convert the funds back into Fiat currency at some point.

Mobile Betting in Russia

Some regulated Russian betting sites do not offer dedicated mobile apps. Still, you can place mobile bets using their responsive websites. Our top three sites listed above, 1xBet, FonBet, and WinLine, offer mobile sports betting apps. Still, their quality varies significantly from one site to the next.

In the case of 1xBet, many players prefer the iOS and Android applications over the actual website. The same features are available, but the apps have a more modern look and feel to them. FonBet’s iOS App offers all of the same functionality as their website. This includes live video streaming, in-play betting, full access to support, and even Apple Watch support. Their Android app has not been updated in some time.

WinLine offers great apps for both iOS and Android. However, their user interfaces have been streamlined somewhat, and some features are missing compared to their main website.

Online Casinos

Online casinos are prohibited in Russia. Suppose you want to participate in this type of gambling. In that case, you will either need to visit one of the four dedicated Russian gambling zones or take the risk of playing at an offshore online casino instead. Because of the risks associated with engaging in illegal online casino gambling in Russia, we do not recommend participating in this activity unless you know what you are doing.

Leading Sports for Betting in Russia

Football (Soccer)
It is the most popular sport amongst Russian gamblers, with more than half of all sports bets made on various soccer markets. Russians love their National team with a passion. The Russian Premier League consists of 16 teams and is considered the 7th most competitive league in Europe.
Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey is a traditional Russian sport. The Russian National Team is widely regarded as being one of the best in the world. Russian players are frequently scouted by the Canadian and United States Ice Hockey leagues.
Volleyball
It seems to be very popular in this particular part of the world. The Russian men’s National Volleyball team has seen more success than any other Russian national team. Since 2021, they won 6 world cups, 6 world championships, and 12 European championships during the modern era.
Basketball
Basketball has had its ups and downs over the years in Russia. Their national team was world-class during the post-soviet era. The game fell out of favour with sports bettors but has seen a resurgence over the past years. It is currently the fourth most popular sport in Russia.
Tennis
It is seen as a women’s game by many Russians, perhaps in part due to the success of players such as Maria Sharapova. Women’s Tennis is a very popular betting market on Russian sports betting websites. Various Russian athletes currently occupy spots in the World Tennis Association’s list of the top players.

The Profile of a Russian Bettor

You won’t find many Russian gamblers who don’t enjoy betting on soccer. Still, overall they like to bet on many different sports and markets. Many Russians would love to have more freedom in terms of where they can choose to bet. Also, the need to travel to one of the four designated gambling zones to play casino games is frequently derided by Russians in anonymous surveys.

Data from Russian gambling sites are hard to come by, but one thing that stands out is that Russians enjoy risky bets more than those in other countries. Russians place a lot more bets at higher odds than other gamblers, suggesting that the thrill of a big win appeals to Russian gamblers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is online betting legal in Russia?

Gambling was made illegal in all areas of Russia other than four specific zones in 2009. Still, the law as it stood did not cover online gambling. Most of the large online gaming brands were happy to offer their services to Russian gamblers anyway.

Russia issues licenses to domestic sports betting companies, allowing them to offer online betting to their customers. Online casinos, poker rooms, and bingo sites are prohibited. The Russian internet regulator currently blacklists thousands of domains associated with offshore gambling.

Are there any taxes for Russian players on their winnings?

Russian gamblers used to have taxes deducted from their winnings whenever they won over 15,000 rubles. Just before the end of 2017, this law was changed, and Russian gamblers now receive their winnings in full. Gambling winnings are still subject to tax, but it is now up to individual gamblers to calculate the tax they owe. Whilst standard income tax in Russia is set at 13%, there is some conflicting information regarding how much tax must be paid on gambling winnings.

Can I open an account and play in RUB?

If you choose to play at one of the officially licensed Russian online sportsbooks, you will need to register with a centralized payment processing hub beforehand. Offshore sites allow Russian gamblers to play in Rubles, too, making it simpler for them.

Are there any betting restrictions for Russian Players?

As detailed above, online gambling is prohibited unless you choose to play via the state-controlled monopoly and licensed bookmakers.

Which is the best foreign betting site that accepts Russian players?

Most foreign gambling sites are blocked inside Russia through a censorship scheme by Roskomnadzor. Despite this, Bet365.ru, 888sport, William Hill, Betsson, and Pinnacle all offer sports betting to Russian citizens and Russian language versions of their websites.

Why does Russia not permit online casinos?

The Russian Government has given several reasons for its decision to outlaw online casinos. One was that allowing online casino gambling would hurt its land-based casino industry.

Whilst much of Europe found ways to regulate online gambling, Russia simply copied the example of the United States by attempting to block offshore gambling companies from offering their services to Russian citizens. Despite these efforts, online gambling is a service that is in demand – nothing can be done to change this.

Our Verdict

It’s a great shame that the betting market in Russia has ended up how it has. Sure, if you enjoy sports betting, then many options are available. We hope that Russia will continue relaxing restrictions on gambling-related activities over the coming years, perhaps switching to a European model where all forms of online gambling can be regulated.

In the meantime, we can only recommend that Russian gamblers stick to the licensed sites that are currently available in the country.