Russia to ban bets on non-sports events

Russia’s bookmakers are up in arms over their government’s plans to ban betting on non-sports events.

In April, Russian authorities published the draft text of a bill that would require bookmakers to pay a 10% tax on their online sports betting sales. Last week, the draft was amended to include a prohibition on betting on non-sports events both online and via land-based points of sale.

Some bookies are taking a philosophical approach to the non-sports ban, which, if approved, is scheduled to take effect this December. Maxim Afanasyev, deputy director of Russian betting operator Liga Stavok, told Bookmakers Rating that non-sports wagering was “a nice addition” to traditional sports betting but not “the driver” of Russian bookies’ bottom lines.

Taking a more strident approach was Konstantin Makarov, CEO of betting operator Bingo Boom and president of the Bookmakers Self Regulatory Organization, who called the non-sports betting ban “absolutely unreasonable.” Speaking with Betting Business Russia, Makarov said it would be far better if the government laid out specific regulations to govern non-sports betting.