Russian watchdog receives 38,700 online gambling complaints

ia’s media and telecommunications regulator has reported that it received more than 38,700 online gambling complaints during the first half of the year, according to the local press.

Regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated this figure represents a 235% increase in the complaints related to the illegal distribution of digital gaming, compared to the same period a year prior.

Overall, the media watchdog received a total of 118,000 submitted complaints regarding illicit distribution of different types of information.

Roskomnadzor, established in 2008, supervises and regulates the legal framework for the distribution of information under Russian law. Recently, it has closely been watching online gambling.

Under current regulations, online casino and poker services are strictly prohibited in the country. Sportsbetting is considered legal and operators must apply for licenses through local regulators. However, licenses to international operators are heavily denied.

As the Russian gaming industry remains among the world’s most strictly regulated ones, Roskomnadzor is in charge of blacklisting every gambling-related violator. For instance, the watchdog blocked nearly 16,000 gambling domains during 2016.

Moreover, earlier this month, Russia's government passed a ban on the use of virtual private networks (VPNs). These networks are the ones used by lawyers to access unauthorised websites.