Several years ago, Russia was poised to become one of the hotbeds of poker. It had a burgeoning and enthusiastic player base, then in 2009 Russian authorities closed down all casinos overnight, outlawing any gambling or online poker. This week Russian authorities continued their crackdown by raiding the largest native online poker room, believed to be Microgaming-powered Goldfishka.com. Officials from the Interior Ministry seized equipment and confiscated close to $1 million in cash. Police arrested six people, including the site's 33 year-old owner.
Those arrested may have to stand trial under Article 171 of the Criminal Code dealing with illegal businesses, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.
“The casino generated about $7,000 daily,” read a statement from the Interior Ministry. "During its lifespan, hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit profits were laundered through foreign banks by use of complex financial manipulations. The now untraceable illicit profits were eventually invested with offshore companies.”
Larisa Zhukova, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, revealed that the online casino was established a decade ago using technology from the west while its administration was handled on Russian territory.“The online casino offered a wide selection of gambling options including online slot machines, roulette, virtual blackjack tables and poker; over 470 games in total.”
