Betting in Russia is Losing Popularity

Betting in Russia faced a massive decline last year. However, based on statistics football is still one of the most popular sports to bet on in the country.

The reason of an excessive drop in the rate of betting could be the lack of big football events last year (like 2014 FIFA wold cup).

Facts in Numbers

It was stated by a Russian gaming operator, First Gaming, football is still responsible for the 40% of all sport betting expenses. However, this percentage was higher (46%) in 2014.

Other beloved sports like tennis, ice hockey, basketball and volleyball has a minor role in Russia’s betting industry. If we consider them as a whole, they are subject to only 18% of the betting activities in Russia.

Among sports leagues, NBA (3,87%) is in the most popular league among Russian bettors.

Betting in Russia shows regressive signs also in terms of the average amount spent on betting. That number was dropped to $15.35 in 2015. In the previous year, in 2014 this amount was twice higher, around $30.08. The background reasons can be found in the economic situation, especially the massive inflation of Russian ruble.

There are many questions in terms of the new regulations regarding betting in Russia. According to speculations, the government plans to increase ten times higher betting taxes. Moreover, and a bit controversial, online poker possibly will be legalized in the country. This unofficial information hasn’t been clarified by any of the government officials yet.

Regulations Might Lead to the Drop of Betting in Russia

The federal executive body, which controls the supervision of media, is Roskomnadzor in Russia. The authority introduced a strict rule last year. According to their order, they blocked many of the online gambling sites. Moreover, they also developed a legislation to punish those who spread information about how to access the banned sites.

The draft legislation would mean only a limited possibility in terms of betting in Russia. Roskomnadzor and AZAPO (Association for the Protection of Copyright on the Internet) would give quite high fines ($133 -$665) for those who spread the word in terms of accessing blocked sites.