ARussian gambling industry chief has hit out at a leading lawyer and political activist who urged the Kremlin to fine residents found using online casinos.
Online casinos are illegal in Russia, and while the law forbids their use, gambling online is not yet a criminal offense.
But earlier this month, Ivan Kurbakov, a lawyer, politician, and the chairman of the conservative values-promoting lobbying group Otsy Ryadom (Fathers Nearby), called on lawmakers to target “end-users.”
Speaking to the Russian gambling-focused media outlet Bet On Mobile, Ruslan Suleimanov, the head of the permit-holding bookmaker Tennisi, called Kurbakov’s proposal “a bad idea.”
“As the owner of a legal bookmaker in Russia, I should be happy [with this plan],” said Suleimanov. “But we need to tackle the cause, not the effect. Organizers of illegal gambling activities must be prosecuted.”
Suleimanov said that proposals like Kurbakov’s were a slippery slope that would “end up with fines for watching YouTube, or scrolling through a banned social media feed.”
Online casinos remain firmly in the spotlight in Russia, becoming a political hot potato in recent months.
On one hand, the Ministry of Finance has urged the Kremlin to legalize and tax operators. On the other hand, lawmakers have successfully introduced a new act that will allow internet watchdogs to fast-track blocking orders against online casino websites.
Russian Gambling Industry Fumes at Lawyer’s Call to Fine Online Casino Users
