Russian lawmakers are moving to impose significant penalties on casinos that allow individuals who have voluntarily added their names to a new self-prohibition registry to gamble. The State Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament, passed this legislation during a plenary session on July 8, as reported by the Russian Parliamentary Gazette.
The initiative, crafted by the Duma’s Committee on Economic Policy, aims to bolster efforts against illegal online gambling, having previously established a quick-response framework to block unlicensed casino websites.
Maxim Topilin, the committee's chairman, remarked in May, "[We are working] to fight the shadow gambling sector, strengthen trust in state-regulated [gambling] platforms, and improve the overall level of security in the digital space."
In addition to the fines for allowing self-prohibition opt-ins to place bets, the law will penalize casinos, slot machine establishments, and online bookmakers that send promotional communications to individuals on this registry. Fines for individuals could range from $400 to $660, while companies may face tenfold penalties.
The Duma has successfully passed the bill through its second and third readings. Unless the Federation Council or President Vladimir Putin intervenes, this legislation will take effect on September 1. It establishes liability for gambling operators accepting bets from those on the self-prohibition register, allowing courts to hold them responsible for administrative violations if they fail to identify such patrons.
In a bid to enhance regulatory oversight, lawmakers are also proposing penalties for operators who neglect to report their compliance to the federal gambling regulatory authority.
This move is part of a broader governmental response to a troubling increase in gambling addiction across the country. Lawmakers estimate that around 12% of Russian adults exhibit signs of problematic gambling behavior. Reports suggest that many of these individuals allocate approximately 21% of their monthly incomes to gambling activities, spanning bookmakers, slot machines, land-based casinos, and illegal online platforms. Unfortunately, only 5% to 10% of these gambling addicts seek professional help, according to anti-gambling advocates.
In response to this rising issue, the government is preparing to launch new guidelines and treatment programs for gambling addiction later this year, as confirmed by officials. In April, Artem Metelev, head of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy, advocated for a provision allowing family members to add their relatives to the self-prohibition registry, even against the addicts’ will.
“It would be a good addition to let close relatives, like children, wives, and husbands, impose restrictions,” Metelev stated. “People don’t always realize they are addicted.” He confirmed that his committee is drafting a related bill to be submitted to the Duma soon.
