Review of relevant gambling news

This world is a hive of activity: one keeps blocking gambling resources, toughens punishment for the activity beyond specialized zones; residence permit can be obtained according to the results of lotteries; bookmakers are summing up the results of the year; and tour operators focus on the development of the Altai Territory business.

• Russia adopts criminal penalty for holding games beyond gambling zones

Authorities of the Russian Federation have decided to toughen punishment for organizing and holding gambling games beyond prescribed gambling zones. Now, lawbreakers will face heavy fines, compulsory community service, and even imprisonment. Besides direct organizers of gambling entertainments, the law also affects owners of rooms, holding unlicensed games.

Thus, the new law will allow to focus gambling business exclusively on specially provided territories.

• Liga Stavok betting shop will sum up the results of the year at the official press conference

Today, the Lotte Hotel Moscow is hosting the official press conference where the Liga Stavok betting shop has decided to sum up the results of the expiring year. This year was crucial for businesses, as bookmakers were allowed to accept interactive bets across the Russian Federation. Liga Stavok became one of the first legal betting shops.

The conference will allow to discuss interactive betting issues, operation results, online sector experience, as well as prospects of betting business development and key trends of the next year.

• Residence permit in Russia can be obtained by hitting the lottery

At the Leningrad Region legislative meeting, lawmakers have offered to introduce the project, allowing all foreigners to participate in the lottery in order to win residence permit, for consideration by the State Duma. The drawing of such a valuable prize will be conducted in electronic format randomly.

Participation in the lottery is free of charge, but there are several conditions: users should be more than 18 years old and be citizens of one of countries included to the special list approved the Russian government. Besides, foreigners should have at least secondary-level education.

• Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications blocked more than thousand websites with gambling content

Previous week, the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications blocked 1074 gambling resources. Websites that are no longer available in Russia include the following: Fonbet betting shop, Parimatch, 1xBet, Leonbets betting shop, Bet365, Liga Stavok etc. Moreover, this Federal Service for Supervision also blocked the access to 621 websites with casinos, poker rooms, and lotteries, as well to 54 resources, placing advertising about illegal gambling games.

• TUI Russia & CIS will develop tourist trail in the Altai Territory

TUI Russia & CIS, the major tourist service operator, has signed the agreement with Governor of the Altai Territory, supposing tourist development in this region.

According to Governor Alexander Karlin, Altai Territory authorities do their best to increase the level of tourism services: they are working out the infrastructure, training highly-qualified personnel, establish regional and transnational routes. Cooperation with one of leading tourist companies will help to increase the amount of foreign visitors arriving to the Altai gambling zone.