Legislation
Russia – Putin signs law banning instant lottery and online lottery sales
By Phil - 24 July 2019
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed legislation banning electronic instant lotteries along with the use of telecommunications networks and technical devices for such operations.
The Ministry of Finance said that online sales of instant-win lottery products were becoming too similar to online casino games, which are banned under current laws.
The new law means that even legal lotteries are not allowed to sell electronic tickets. The prize fund has now been limited to at least 50 per cent but not more than 70 per cent of the proceeds, with the amount allocated to funding social activities now set at ’10 per cent of the difference between the quarterly revenue and the prize fund formed during the reporting quarter.’
The law states: “In order to exclude the possibility of gambling under the guise of lotteries, the law provides for the following: exclusion of norms allowing for conducting instant lotteries using electronic lottery tickets; imposing a ban on holding instant lotteries using information and telecommunications networks.”
