Putin signs gambling law
The president of Russia has signed into law new measures to toughen punishment for unlawful gambling organisations.
Russia.- The press-service of the Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that he has signed a law that is set to toughen up punishment for illegal gambling organisations. The bill was passed last week by the lower house.
The bill establishes that unlicensed gambling conducted outside of the specially designated zones, as well as the systematic provision of premises for unlawful gambling, could result in criminal liability, and it sets fines including prison for up to two years as well as fines of US$8,000. If the crime is conducted by a group, prison sentences could rise to up to four years with the fine increasing to US$16,000.
The bill was unanimously passed by the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, the State Duma, earlier this month, with the intention to set a more firm regulatory scheme in the country in order to battle illegal gambling. President Putin believes that the bill will help toughen up the market.
