The international sports-betting social network BettingExpert announced it will exit the Russian market, due to recent crackdowns on unlicensed bookmakers and casinos. In a Twitter post, BettingExpert stated,
“BettingExpert is leaving the Russian market. The tournament in November is the last one. You hold on here! Wish you all the best and good mood.”
Russian media and communications watchdog Roskomnadzor restricted access to BettingExpert in July, stating the website would not remove information about bets and betting shops.
The crackdown started in September 2015, when Roskomnadzor began ordering ISPs to block online gambling sites–from unregulated Russian sportsbooks to well-known Western brands like PokerStars and William Hill, and recently including Fonbet, Parismatch and Marathon, as well as Russian language affiliate marketing portals.
In October, Roskomnadzor blocked nearly 2,500 websites of unlicensed bookmakers and casinos. And between November 14 and 20, it blocked about 1,000 websites, primarily mirror websites of Fonbet, Parismatch and Marathon—nearly double the 600 websites blocked the previous week.
