Sberbank Blocks Payments to Foreign Poker Rooms, Citing New Regulations

Sberbank of Russia has begun blocking payments to foreign poker rooms, leaving many users frustrated. Those attempting to deposit funds into these platforms received SMS messages from the bank stating that payments to foreign companies are prohibited.

This move by Sberbank is in line with law F3 #244, which came into effect on October 19, 2018. The law mandates that payments to foreign companies related to gambling activities will be blocked. However, payments to domestic gambling companies remain unaffected, suggesting a protective measure for local bookmakers to compete in the market.

Companies without a proper license will be added to the blacklist of the Federal Tax Service (FNS). Poker player Ilya Gorodetsky described the situation as a significant blow to the poker industry but not the end. He noted that this change should have happened in May but is only now being enforced.