Russian Supreme Court's Battle Against Online Poker Sites

The Prosecutor's Office of the Pskov region filed a lawsuit against Rostelecom to block access to online gambling sites. The lawsuit was filed by the deputy prosecutor acting on behalf of an unspecified group of people and the Russian Federation. The Prosecutor's Office identified 82 websites that offered online gambling, including poker, roulette, and slot machines.

The Prosecutor's Office cited the Federal Law 'On Information, Information Technologies, and Information Protection' which prohibits the dissemination of information that is subject to criminal or administrative liability. The Prosecutor's Office requested that Rostelecom block access to these 82 websites.

Rostelecom argued that it is not the organizer of the gambling activities and that the current legislation does not require it to restrict access to such sites. On November 15, 2011, the Pskov City Court ruled in favor of Rostelecom, rejecting the prosecutor's lawsuit.