July 26, 2017
Betfred reportedly closed its Russian poker operations yesterday (July 25) after warning players earlier in the month of its intentions, but without an explanation, and advising them to withdraw any positive balances in their accounts. The publication Asia Gaming Brief reports that the closing notice triggered complaints on player forums. Russia’s internet watchdog Roskomnadzor has […]
August 23, 2016
Starting August 15, a growing number of Ukrainian players have reported that there are no longer iPoker services available, whilst Russian player reports indicate that “some” iPoker skins have also exited from the Russian market as the regulatory clampdown in that country gathers momentum (see previous reports). The Ukrainian players claim that they were contacted […]
June 23, 2016
The Russian news agency Izvestia has reported that Amazon Cloud Service, which hosts a large number of sites in Russia, has been blocked by Roskomnadzor, the state regulator. A spokesman for the regulator, Vadim Ampelonsky, confirmed the news, saying that at the request of the Russian Federal Tax Service, it had placed Amazon on a […]
March 11, 2016
Hard on the heels of renewed speculation that the Russian government may soon legalise online poker as a skill game (see previous reports) comes the news that 888Poker has formed a strategic partnership with the Russian Poker Tour (RPT). The RPT hosts live poker tournaments in Eastern European cities in the absence of a welcoming […]
March 10, 2016
Several media reports surfaced this week expanding on a story in IB Times that speculated the Russian authorities may be about to legalise online poker, and linking this possibility to the imminent launch of TSUPIS, a centralised payment processing system designed to handle gambling transactions and ensure that the local taxman gets his cut. Rumours […]
January 22, 2016
The publication Business Insider published a speculative article this week suggesting that the Russian government is about to execute a volte face on its stand that online poker is unlawful. Written by academic and author Robert Carmona-Borjas, the article claims that the Russian government is seriously considering the legalisation of online poker in the near […]
July 21, 2015
A legalised Russian online poker industry could have benefits for other national sports including chess, reports the Global Poker Index, quoting Russian business mogul Vasily Anisimov, who leads an association of Russian state lotteries. Anisimov says that substantial amounts of money could be generated which could in part be used to fund other Russian sports […]
September 12, 2014
Further information has come to light substantiating reports last week that an unidentified Russian organisation is making headway in persuading the Russian government to legalise and regulate online poker (see previous reports). According to the online poker information site Poker News Report the initiative has been underway since June this year, when Kakha Kakhiani, president […]
September 10, 2014
Setting industry tongues a wag Tuesday was an unsourced report on the Poker777 site claiming that an unidentified Russian “league of poker amateurs” has grabbed the government bull by the horns and suggested a deal through which online poker would be legalised in return for paying handsome taxes to Putin’s coffers. The news comes on […]