Security officers from the Federal Security Service (FSB) in Tyumen, Russia, together with colleagues from the Sverdlovsk and Rosgvardia regions, have dismantled an organised criminal group of eight people that had operated a network of illegal casinos for almost three years.
The investigators stated: “Officers from the regional FSB, in cooperation with the FSB in the Sverdlovsk region and with support from OMON ‘Vepr’, have stopped the activities of an organised criminal group involved in the illegal organisation of gambling.
“From June 2023 to March 2026, the suspects, seeking to obtain profits, set up underground gambling halls with gaming terminals in the busiest areas of Tyume.”
According to authorities, the operation ran on a systematic basis. The group rented non-residential premises in busy areas and disguised them as gaming clubs. The underground network operated for nearly three years, using specialised equipment and information technologies.
The group members now face up to six years in prison. Law enforcement officials are continuing their investigation to uncover further offences and identify any accomplices.
Recent months have seen a surge in regulatory developments in Russia’s gambling sector.
Most notably, the country is considering legalising online casinos. A Public Chamber official has called for a minimum legal gambling age of 21, the introduction of self-exclusion options and stricter oversight of cryptocurrency use.
Russia’s self-exclusion register is set to begin operating on 1 September 2026.
A bill that would prevent bookmakers from accepting bets from debtors including those with alimony obligations and legally incapacitated individuals may be postponed until at least autumn.
Meanwhile, the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly, has approved in its first reading a bill that would ban bookmakers and totalizators from accepting bets made with credit cards.
A new gambling zone may be established in the Altai Republic of Russia, pending regulatory approval
