On October 1 and 2, the forum “Betting: Contributions to Sports” will be held in Moscow. Within the framework of the event organized by the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation and the public law company “Unified Regulator of Gambling” (ERAI), a series of discussions were held between government officials, heads of betting companies and sports structures, experts and journalists.
Sports funding from betting houses is growing
The Forum program examined current issues of interaction between subjects of physical culture and sports in the Russian Federation and the organizers of the game. New perspectives for the development of responsible gaming legislation and policy are also on the agenda.
Planned deductions from bookmaker activities at the end of 2023 increased to 19.1 billion rubles, 38% more than in 2022. In nine months of this year, the amount has already amounted to 25.5 billion of rubles. According to ERAI, in 2024 total contributions will amount to more than 33 billion rubles. Starting this year, the amount of target annual deductions has increased from 1.5 to 2% of income from all bets.
The reasons for this growth were pointed out by ERAI General Director Alexey Grachev: “There are several reasons for the growth of target contributions. First of all, this is an increase in the bet, which was supported by legal bookmakers. Secondly, these are sanctions; They help development and give new impetus to growth. Currently target [отчисления] It is received by 112 sports federations, four professional leagues and the World Friendship Games,” said Grachev.
The president’s task for the development of sports
Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev highlighted the importance of betting houses in solving the task set by the president to develop mass sports in Russia. By 2030, 70% of the country’s residents should lead an active lifestyle. According to the minister, thanks to the interaction with betting houses, the forum has created a platform for open expert dialogue between companies, the State, professionals and the media, where all links are interconnected.
Mikhail Degtyarev
Photo: Dmitry Rukhletsky
“Sports generate high income for betting houses and their royalties, in turn, benefit and make sports more accessible. The development and participation of citizens in sports is a necessary task of the President,” said Degtiarev.
In addition, the minister revealed details about the functioning of the targeting fund. According to him, the Russian Sports Foundation is a non-profit organization under the Ministry of Sports. It is designed to accumulate all funds from betting on events that took place outside Russia and in which national federations did not participate.
The draft law on the creation of the fund has already been submitted to the government, it will be quickly examined and adopted before the end of this year.
Responsible gambling and other urgent issues
The issue of fighting gambling addiction has not gone unnoticed. Systematic work to combat gambling addiction has been carried out in Russia for several years. Its relevance is confirmed by the draft law presented to the State Duma in July 2024.
Reducing the shadow gaming market helps in this process. ERAI continues to fight against illegal organizations and the illegal .com zone. Perhaps ERAI has the authority to send information about illegal sites directly to Roskomnadzor.
Yuri Krasovsky
Photo: Dmitry Rukhletsky
The president of the Liga Stavok bookmaker, Yuri Krasovsky, spoke on this topic: “Various restrictions in the bookmaker industry drive players precisely into the hidden segment of the market. I am sure that these conclusions will serve as a new positive impetus for the development of the industry, because the professionals gathered at the forum are true to their words and deeds. I am sure that a productive and effective strategy will be developed both for betting houses and for national sports and our entire country,” Krasovsky concluded.
During the debate, the social function of betting houses was also highlighted. Gambling operators must educate customers about the risks, comply with responsible gambling programs, and self-imposed gambling restrictions if the person is addicted. The managing partner of the PARI bookmaker, Dmitry Sergeev, agrees with this opinion.
Dmitri Sergueev
Photo: Igor Rodin
“I would like the debate to take place with the participation of the Ministry of Health, since gambling addiction is a disease. It is very important that there is communication between companies, the ERAI and the State, not to harm, but to help. The measurements can be very different. For example, a limitation on the volume or frequency of deposits,” says Sergeev.
Rüstem Akmalov
Photo: Igor Rodin
Rustem Akmalov, Marketing Director of BETSITI, proposed other solutions to the problem of gambling addiction: “The StopiGra project is a step that allows us to enter a territory that leads to educational measures and does not push us towards illegal immigrants. You should not target advertising as income. Betting is fun. Avoiding this type of advertising will allow you to avoid targeting an audience that cannot afford to gamble and is addicted. This is self-regulation on the part of bookmakers,” Akmalov noted.
Umar Kremlev
Photo: Alexandra Terletskaya
The president of the International Boxing Federation, Umar Kremlev, highlighted the need to reduce the commercialization of children and youth sports. According to him, the idea of specific contributions is integrated into the development of sports and the support of athletes. However, not all federations are transparent:
“The federations must work so that they do not take money from children. Only then can we talk about the development of sports in the country,” Kremlev noted.
Some more interesting numbers
around 6 million Russians place bets every year.More than 1 trillion rubles per year: the total volume of bets.12% Russians are addicted to gambling.18 years — minimum age to place bets. The Ministry of Finance proposed increasing it.
