Russia to launch online casinos in occupied territories in Ukraine

• The Russian Federation is planning to introduce online casinos in the occupied Ukrainian territories
• The move will also affect the Russian Federation, Reuters reports, where online casinos may soon be available
• The evident reason for this decision is Russia’s slowing economy, gaping budget deficit, and ongoing struggle to fund the military industry

New information from the National Resistance Center (NRC) of Ukraine, a military body created in 2022 to oppose Russian occupation, has reported that the Russian Federation is seeking to set up swift online casino legislation and raise proceeds to fund its ongoing war against the country.

Russia looks for additional sources of revenue, turns to online casinos

Russia and the Russian administrations are now set to launch online casinos, a move described as an economic fillip, but which is, in reality, what the NRC suspects to be an additional source of revenue for the full-scale war.

The proposal comes from Russian Finance MinisterAnton Siluanov, and could be a way to skirt sanctions and scrutiny of funding by tapping into gray-area industries and activities that are not officially on the books, the CNR believes.

Based on the current proposal, 30% of all online casino revenue would be transferred to the Russian Federation. The CNR wrote:

"Effectively, legalizing casinos in occupied territories is another element of a centralized model for exploiting these regions. Under the guise of уconomic measures, gambling is turned into a tool of war financing, channeling civilian funds to support the occupation regime under direct Kremlin control."

The measure may not only apply to occupied territories, as Reuters reports that the proposal is looking to raise $1.3bn for the state budget, or 100 billion rubles. Raising military spending is chiefly to blame, as consumers feel the pinch, and the wartime economy seems to have peaked in terms of job opportunities.

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