Interactive
Russia – Google faces fine as Putin cracks down on online
By Phil - 6 January 2015
Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service has fined google $1,600 for allowing gambling ads to be placed on the Google search engine available to Russians.
The watchdog imposed the fine due to ‘the distribution of gambling, their organizers and related services in the Google search engine on the territory of the Russian Federation.’
The fine comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin clamps down on online gaming, signing a bill into law toughening penalties for illegal gambling business.
Current laws look to crackdown on illegal gambling businesses that generate profits more than 1.5m rubles ($26,500).
The new legislation will see the operators of unauthorised internet gambling sites face up to 240 hours of community service, restriction of freedom of up to four years or a prison sentence of up to two years. It will impose fines of between $5,300 and $8,850 or an amount equal to the operator’s income for a period of one to three years. It will also introduce fines for unlicensed sports betting in regions outside of the gambling zones.
