(AsiaGameHub) – Russian legislators are preparing to grant regulatory bodies and law enforcement authorities enhanced capabilities to expedite orders blocking illicit online casinos.
During a session at the State Duma this week, legislators passed the initial reading of legislation aimed at reducing the timeframe needed to shut down gambling sites, according to a report by the Russian media agency URA News.
Internet casino platforms operate illegally within Russia. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Finance intends to overturn this prohibition and begin imposing taxes on the operators.
Currently, state authorities persist in their efforts to prohibit unauthorized websites. However, they have expressed frustration that bureaucratic hurdles regularly impede their progress.
Existing procedures mandate that the Unified Gambling Regulator submit a notice to the Federal Tax Service. Subsequently, the tax authority conducts a series of verifications before consenting to include the online casino’s information on a register of prohibited websites.
The proposed legislation seeks to simplify this procedure, cutting the approval time for blocking orders from approximately five days down to a mere 48 hours.
“We aim to complete the draft legislation prior to the second reading,” Sergei Altukhov, Deputy Chair of the State Duma’s Economic Policy Committee, stated in an interview with Russia’s Parliamentary Gazette.
Russian Legislators: The Moment to Accelerate Blocking Orders
“We are collaborating with the Ministry of Finance and other departments on this matter,” Altukhov remarked. “We are investigating faster methods to assist in blocking online casinos. Typically, these websites are owned by operators based in nations that are hostile toward Russia.”
Legal authorities indicate that the proposals represent a positive step forward, yet they require further refinement.
“Considering the speed at which new gambling sites are emerging, drastically cutting the blocking time is crucial,” Russian attorney Stalina Gurevich commented to URA News.
“Nevertheless, I am uncertain whether this will substantially decrease the number of users visiting online casinos, particularly the youth,” Gurevich noted.
Younger Russians are highly proficient with technology, the lawyer clarified. Gurevich continued, “They frequently know how to reach blacklisted sites on the internet. These proposals must be enhanced.”
Concurrently, the ministry’s initiative is encountering strong opposition from the Russian Orthodox Church, mental health specialists, and figures within the opposition.
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