Illegitimate gambling dens emerge in Norilsk, Krasnodar, and Novo Kuzneck.
Russians Continue to Battle Underground Casinos, Latest Raids in Norilsk and Krasnodar Expose Persisting Issue
In the ongoing war against clandestine gambling operations, Norilsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, and Krasnodar have been the latest battlegrounds.
The recent bust in the Talnakh area of Norilsk, a city in Krasnoyarsk Krai's northern reaches, involved a local resident of 34 years who masterminded an illicit gambling den in a former café building. A police raid revealed a bustling scene of gambling enthusiasts engaged in unlawful activities, seizing:
- 12 monitors
- 12 system units
- A video recorder
- A mobile phone
- Cash totaling 28,500 rubles
Similarly, early this year, an illicit gambling establishment tentatively named the "40 Let Pobedy Street Casino" in Krasnodar was discovered and raided by law enforcement. The operation was run by two accomplices aged 41 and 43, who furnished the premises, recruited team members, divided profits, and conducted their illicit activities in secret. During a raid in late August, hard drives, mobile phones, and evidence of the criminal activities were seized from the casino and the suspects' homes.
A young lady from Novokuznetsk will now face the consequences of her actions, having set up a clandestine gambling hall in her city. According to the Investigative Committee of Kuzbass, an 18-year-old resident had rented an apartment and moved in gaming equipment in February 2022, leading to a police search that resulted in the seizure of over a dozen gaming-related units. Her cooperation with the investigation and confession allowed for a lighter penalty, imposing a fine.
The current scene in Russia demonstrates heightened efforts to stamp out unauthorized online gambling activities across the nation, though reports of regional actions such as those in Krasnoyarsk Krai and Krasnodar are not widely publicized. The ongoing struggle involves escalated measures against unlicensed platforms, ranging from domain seizures to blocking apps and websites linked to suspicious operators, and eliminating underground casinos through coordinated legal and technical interventions. However, enforcement varies regionally.
Other key trends reported include a surge in public complaints about illegal online casinos, prompting government action, and proposals to introduce stricter ISP regulations and financial transaction monitoring to disrupt illicit gambling networks. The situation in Russia can be contrasted with Ukraine's approach, which focuses on a voluntary self-exclusion system rather than infrastructure blocking. Law enforcement actions remain centered on dismantling digital infrastructure and tracking payment gateways, signaling a strategic shift in favor of online enforcement.
- Officers in Krasnoyarsk Krai discovered a hidden casino in a former café building in the Talnakh area, seizing 12 monitors, 12 system units, a video recorder, a mobile phone, and cash totaling 28,500 rubles from the illicit gambling den.
- In Krasnodar, monitors and other equipment were taken from a clandestine casino named "40 Let Pobedy Street Casino," which was run by two accomplices.
- In a separate incident, an 18-year-old resident of Novokuznetsk will face consequences for operating an unauthorized gambling hall in her city.
- Despite the ongoing crackdown on illicit gambling activities in Russia, enforcement varies regionally, and reports of regional actions, like those in Krasnoyarsk Krai and Krasnodar, are not widely publicized in general news.
