Russia keeps firm hand on illegal gambling
At the same time, wrongdoers could also face up to 240 hours of compulsory community service, restriction of freedom of up to four years and up to two years in prison.
Under the new bill, fines can also be levied on unlicensed gambling activities in venues situated outside the four government-designated zones.
For almost five years, gambling has been banned across Russia, except for Vladivostok, Altai Territory, Kaliningrad and the Azov Sea/Black Sea area. In July, Putin signed a bill to create gambling areas in Crimea and Sochi.
Russia holds a stringent stance against online gambling, and has blocked access to websites by restricting regional ISPs and imposing transactional payment blocks on Russian credit card payments.
Earlier this month, internet company Google apologised to Russian authorities after gambling advertisements appeared on online searches in the country.
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