State Duma refuses comment on bookmaker payouts rule

In Russia, the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy was unable, at the request of “RB Business”, to clarify the rule on instant withdrawal of winnings to the cards of bookmaker clients. No government body commented on the amendment.

State Duma position on payout rules

A representative of the committee, headed by one of the authors of the amendment Maxim Topilin, stated that the State Duma does not interpret legal norms. According to him, this falls under the competence of the Constitutional Court.

Another author of the amendment, deputy Dmitry Svishchev, did not respond to the publication’s request for a week.

Amendment on card payouts

Essence of the rule

The amendment was introduced for the second reading of the bill. It establishes an obligation for bookmakers to transfer player winnings directly to the client’s bank card.

Originally, the self-restriction bill introduced by a group of deputies in 2024 focused only on a self-exclusion mechanism from gambling. Later, the second-reading amendments added a rule on instant payout of winnings.

Reaction and legal assessment

The Ministry of Finance previously declined to comment on the rule, stating that the amendment was not introduced by the ministry.

Some market participants have expressed concerns about the rule. Lawyers note that it may imply direct transfers to bank cards for all bookmaker clients.

List of amendment authors

The authors of the amendment include deputies: Topilin, Matytsin, Kravchenko, Shkolkina, Svishchev, Altukhov, Kiryanov, Naumov, Khamitov, Kazakov, Kidyaev, Kuznetsov, Maximov.

The new rules will come into force on September 1, 2026.