Player Identification in Russia: New Amendments and Concessions

In September of 2020, State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted Federal Law № 313-Ф3 in the final reading. This document integrates amendments and concessions related to the work of operators that organize gambling activities. The regulatory legal act has been approved by the Federation Council and signed by Vladimir Putin. The law was published on October 1.

During the document preparation, authorities analyzed the law № 54-ФЗ dd. 22.05.2003 that already contained requirements to persons involved in the organization of gambling activities. Results showed that legal regulation didn’t provide efficient definition of the tax base in relation to the income of private individuals in the form of winnings. The new Law № 313-Ф3 adopts amendments that will change the existing situation.

The amendment involves the addition of the information that POS Equipment will now be used during the handing out (receiving) of exchange means at the gambling venue and handing out (receiving) of money in exchange for the provided exchange means. The operations involving exchange means (chips, tokens etc.) at the gambling venues has been fiscalized even before the Law № 313-Ф3 came into force, but the Law № 54 had more vague description of such procedure.

When it comes to concessions, according to the adopted amendments, from now on, the cashier's receipt or controlled-issue form that will be formed for the settlements with gambling venue clients will include either full name and passport serial number or the tax identification number. In the previous edition, the law stipulated that all of the abovementioned data must have been included in the corresponding documentation.

The law № 325-Ф3 stipulating taxes on winnings at the gambling venues have come into effect in January this year.