How to Bet on Esports in Russia
Betting in Russia has always been a very interesting and confusing topic to understand. To sum it up simply, most forms of betting are considered illegal however it is legal in 4 regions of the community. Excluding these 4 regions Bingo and the lottery are the only legal forms of gambling that are allowed throughout the country. Luckily legislation does not impact sports or esports betting in Russia and punters are free to sign up with bookmakers accepting players from their region and place bets on their favourite esports events. We advise you follow our Russia Esports Betting Guide to find out which bookmakers are regulated and licensed to ensure you have the smoothest online experience possible.
Popular Esports Markets in Russia
Is Betting on Esports Legal in Russia?
It wasn’t until the 80’s that all forms of gambling in Russia became prohibited by law. This was subjective to all forms of gambling including sports betting and now esports betting. Naturally many found ways around these very restrictive laws and with the technology in 2022 there are many ways for Russian residents to bet online. After the Soviet government lifted the ban on gambling in 1989 the betting and gambling industries offering services to customers exploded.
Then again in 2009 gambling was deemed an illegal past time and all companies offering the service quickly shut down. However, the new laws didn’t apply to sports betting, allowing a highly regulated market to bloom.
Payment Options for Betting on Esports in Russia
Considering the aggressive legislation toward online gambling and betting in Russia it is crucial to choose the right form of payment to fund your esports betting account. Most traditional payment methods such as Bank Transfers, Wire Transfers, Mastercard, and Visa get denied when trying to transact with betting related websites. This has influenced most Russians to use eWallets and pre-paid cards to fund their esports betting accounts successfully, efficiently, and cheap! Below are some of the more popular forms of payment for Russian esports bookmakers in 2022.
- Pre-Paid Cards: Paysafecard, AstroPay
- Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin
- eWallets: PayPal, Neteller, or Skrill
The process to fund your esports betting account is generally very simple and extremely quick depending on the method you use.
