Russian bettors will soon be able to access online gambling wins through the MasterCard international payment network, Russian media reports.
Betting Business Russia reported that such transactions would be specifically coded for gambling transactions.
Russian bookmaker Leon’s says the move “will have a positive effect on the development of the legal online betting market in Russia,” which may until now have been vulnerable to grey schemes on the payment market.
According to Leon, it is “yet another step towards getting the industry closer to best representatives of regulated betting jurisdictions in Western Europe.”
Darina Denisova, head of a trade organization called the Association of Bookmakers, said a prior ban on such transactions made it easy for illegal bookmakers to cash in. “Upon coming into force, the decision of the payment system will help our legal online operators attract even more clients,” Denisova said.
According to Asia Gaming Brief, previously Russia was on a list of countries where such transactions are blocked. AGB reports that some legal bookies allowed their clients to use VISA and MasterCard to top up their gaming balance and paying wins, but “it hasn’t been a common occurrence.”
In another matter, Russian media outlet Kommersant reported that sports broadcaster Match TV has backed off plans to launch its own sports book. The station is similar to ESPN in the U.S. and the report said the decision came to preserve advertising revenue from other bookmakers.
The report said new management at the station doubt that a bookmaking service could be ready in time for the World Cup kickoff in May. Since Russia also restricts the amount of gambling ads that can be shown during live sports telecast, the station considered that promoting its own brand would block other bookmakers form advertising on the station, the report said.
