The Russian legal system has battled the online poker sites without success for a long time. Despite the fact that online poker is banned in the country (except for a few select ''gambling zones''), according to a recent research by Internaional Business Times, an incredible 20% of the adult population are online poker players.
In 2014 the government considered legalizing online poker, but instead they decided to criminalize the game. In the beginning of 2015, Russian president Vladimir Putin signed ''Bill-478806-6'' which ruled that players who play on illegal sites can be fined 500,000 rubels (roughly $8,000 USD) and/or be put in prison for two years.
Last February, the Russian office responsible for regulating information technology, communication and media, the Roskomnadzor was tasked with putting a stop to illegal Russian online poker, but the task was seemingly impossible. Blocking the websites of online poker sites didn't change anything, players just used VPN services to get around the ban and the blocking of anyonymous access has never been solved.
After the new regulation failed, the government decided to return to the 2014 plans of legalization and announced the TSUPIS. The TSUPIS is a national payment services provider similar to e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller.
Russian players will only be allowed to make deposits and withdrawals to legal, licensed sites through TSUPIS. This means that the government will have full access to transaction lists and can tax players based on this number.
The TSUPIS will include every form of online gambling, including sportsbetting and casino sites. According to news the first site to introduce the system will be a sportsbook called Liga Stavok.
Since Russian players make up more than 15% of the global poker market, the government can expect huge income from the industry. If all goes as planned, we could see a legalized online poker market in Russia in 2016.
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