tal of 94% of Russians do not gamble according to a new poll carried out by the state-sponsored Russian Public Opinion Research Centre.

The results may be unwelcome news for the Russian government who announced in early July that Sochi and Crimea are to be made into designated gambling zones.

The survey also revealed that 4% of Russians bet on the outcome of their card games, while less than 1% said they gambled in casinos.

The poll surveyed 1,600 representative adults across 42 regions.

Gambling has been outlawed in Russia since 2009 with the exception of four designated gambling regions.

The legislation was driven by Vladimir Putin, who said: "Like alcoholism, it inflicts serious moral and sometimes financial harm."

More than 70% of the poll's respondents thought the ban on casinos had produced positive effects, compared to 11% who thought the legislation had not been beneficial.