The Russian Federation Council has approved the creation of a gambling zone in the Altai Republic, according to the chamber’s website. The legislation now awaits signature from President Vladimir Putin.
The new zone is expected to boost tourism development, create new jobs and increase tax revenue for the regional budget.
Preliminary estimates suggest the zone could contribute RUB 300m annually to the budget. Of this, RUB 210m would go to the federal budget, while the region would receive RUB 115m in property tax.
Earlier, Head of the Altai Republic, Andrei Turchak, clarified that the zone would operate only within the boundaries of the Maiminsky District.
Russia currently has four legal gambling zones: “Yantarnaya” in Kaliningrad Region, “Sibirskaya Moneta” in Altai Krai, “Krasnaya Polyana” in Krasnodar Krai and “Primorye” in Primorye Krai. A fifth zone is under construction in Crimea and is named “Zolotoy Bereg.”
The Association of Operators of the Entertainment and Event Tourism Industry (AIRIS) has recently reported that Russia’s gambling zones attracted 602,772 visitors in Q1 2026, a 5.5% year-on-year increase and a new record.
Krasnaya Polyana was the most visited gambling zone in Q1 2026, welcoming 251,045 visitors, a year-on-year increase of 8.2%.
In separate news from Russia this week, the former executives of two major bookmakers were sentenced to prison. Sergey Anokhin, former CEO of Fonbet, received 8 years and 2 months for bribery and embezzlement, while Igor Lyapustin, former CEO of Melbet, was sentenced to 8 years for embezzlement.
Russian lawmakers are also 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
