Tim Alper is a journalist who covers betting news and regulation for CasinoBeats. He joined the CasinoBeats team in May 2025. He reports on breaking news and developments in the world of betting, casinos, and...
Read Full BioA leading Russian casino association reports that registered casinos generated 1.5 billion rubles ($19 million) in tax revenues for the Treasury in the first half of the year.
The majority of this came from table games and slots, with gaming revenue accounting for 70% of the total, the Russian media outlet Tsargrad reported.
The claims were made by the Russian Association of the Entertainment Industry and Event Tourism (AIRIS) at a press conference in the southern resort city of Sochi.
AIRIS comprises the casinos that operate in the country’s four official gambling zones. These include the Tigre de Cristal in Primorye, Sobranie in Yantarnaya, Kaliningrad, Siberian Coin in the Altai Republic, and Krasnaya Polyana in Sochi.
Russian Casino Association Reports Rise in Younger Bettors
AIRIS Executive Director Dmitry Anfinogenov said that in the first half of 2025, the casinos’ share of non-gaming revenue as part of their total revenue rose from last year’s figures.
The AIRIS chief said that this was “consistent with global trends.” Anfinogenov noted that the share of non-gaming revenue in Las Vegas casino streams now exceeds 50%.
AIRIS data also shows that 45% of visitors to casinos in the zone are female. Anfinogenov remarked that this figure was “growing every year.” He added that the proportion of visitors aged under 35 was also “growing, and now approaching 50%.”
The body has also conducted surveys of visitors to gambling zones. These results indicate that around seven in 10 patrons reported not planning their visit very far in advance.
And 40% of respondents said they were visiting with friends, while 30% said they had come with a spouse or romantic partner.
Second Siberian Gambling Zone in Pipelines
In October, another Russian gambling chief poured scorn on the government’s plans to create a second Siberian gambling zone. The Ministry of Finance has this year unveiled a bill proposing the launch of a new gambling zone in the Altai Republic.
However, Igor Ballo, the President of the Association of Gambling Industry Professionals, stated that the ministry should reconsider its plans and consider green-lighting a Moscow-based alternative.
Ballo lamented: “Who is going to gamble in Altai? Who is this for? The ministry would be better off creating a zone in the Moscow region, for Moscow.”
“Moscow has a lot of money, in addition to a vast number of tourists,” Ballo noted.
Revenues at many of Russia’s legal casinos have been on the rise lately. Siberian Coin reported that its revenue had increased by 17% year-on-year in the Financial Year 2024.
The same zone’s Altai Palace casino-resort posted revenue growth of more than 58% in Financial Year 2023. Its total revenues for 2024 were $13.3 million.
