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Russia’s ban on bets from debtors could cut 40% of users
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 proposed bill to ban accepting bets from debtors is passed.
ERAI estimates that 40% is the percentage of players with outstanding debt, and that such a huge reduction in customer base can hit revenue and decrease budget contributions.
In January 2026, the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy presented a revised bill for the second reading after it was approved by the government; however, committee chairman Maxim Topilin stressed that the government is taking this position based on appeals from ERAI regarding potential budget losses.
Additionally, the technical issues for implementation were another factor for revising the bill, as it’s expected that verification will be done through the Social Fund’s state digital platform. Information on enforcement proceedings will be collected by using the interdepartmental electronic interaction system of the Federal Bailiff Service database.
These verifications could cost each operator up to 150-200 million rubles annually, with operators also noting the lack of access to up-to-date data on debtors and the limited capacity of IT systems to deal with such volumes of requests.
In early March 2026, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov sent a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko to suggest delaying consideration of the bill until fall 2026.
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