Russian betting slumps in 2015; gov’t mulls penalties for accessing blocked sites

Football’s share of Russia’s sports betting market fell in 2015 but the beautiful game remains by far the most wagered-on sport.

According to figures released by Russian gambling firm First Gaming, which operates under the Rub90 brand, football accounted for 40% of all sports wagering expenditure in 2015, down from 46% in 2014. Rub90 attributed the decline to the fact that 2015 lacked a major football tourney like the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Basketball claimed 18.35% of sports wagers last year, narrowly edging out tennis at 18.19%, while volleyball and ice hockey tied at 10.13%.

In terms of the sports league that generated the most wagering, the NBA ranked first with 3.87% of total betting handle. The Continental Hockey League ranked second at 3.67%, while the Football Champions League claimed third place with 3.24%.