According to data from the Unified Regulatory Authority for Gambling (ERAI), the Kommersant newspaper reported that Russian operators could lose around 40% of players if a...
Putin signs law to create a gambling zone in Altai Republic
The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has signed a new law approving the creation of a sixth gambling zone in the country’s Altai Republic, with the news officially published on May 2, 2026.
Gambling became fully prohibited in Russia back in 2009; however, 5 gambling zones have since been opened, including in Crimea, Sochi, Krasnodar, Primorye, and Kaliningrad.
The new gambling zone in Altai, which will become the second in the region, is expected to be placed close to the Manzherok ski resort owned by Sberbank in order to further integrate it with the tourism sector, as the government is looking to receive over $4 million in annual taxes from the venue. Additionally, it’s estimated that more than 1,000 jobs will be created when the gambling zone launches.
The Ministry of Finance initially suggested expanding the gambling sector of Russia in order to fill the gaps in the budget, as the federal treasury had a $74 billion deficit, with regional budgets recording the highest number of deficits, at $20 billion.
For context, the Altai Republic is considered one of the poorest regions in the country, as 13.8% of the population earns less than the set subsistence level.
In broader proposals, the head of the Ministry of Finance, Anton Siluanov, has also suggested removing the ban on iGaming in Russia and creating a Unified Betting Accounting Center with a 30% tax on gambling revenue, with the measure estimated to bring in $1.3 billion in annual taxes.
Multiple Telegram channels are reporting that Russian law enforcement officers have conducted a raid at Mostbet’s office and allegedly detained Sergey Lagutenko, the...
