Report No. 276

7. Russia

6.44 Gambling was completely prohibited from 1928 to 1987 in erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)171. The 1987 decree of the Council of Ministers effectively legalised gambling, with the creation of joint commercial ventures for the promotion of tourism, and the entrepreneurial hospitality sector businesses taking full advantage of this, installed 226 slot machines in hotels frequently visited by foreigners.

After 2002, the Federal Sports Agency (FSA) was authorised to grant gambling licences. However, in 2006 with the Federal Law N244-FZ172 being passed, a prohibition was imposed on gambling venues with slot machines and table games everywhere in Russia (including online), except for four special gambling zones.

6.45 The Supreme Court of Russia, in 2012, mandated Internet Service Providers to block Russian users from accessing certain gambling websites173. The Courts also held that even the act of providing access to restricted information on gambling amounted to dissemination of information174.