The largest cryptocurrency casino on a global scaly – Stake.com – has still not implemented any restrictions on Russian gamblers, although gambling companies around the world have already taken steps to block such customers following the Russian invasion of Ukraine that started 20 days ago.
In 2021, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed that Stake.com was established and operated out of a Melbourne-based office. Recently, the cryptocurrency casino used its social media account on Twitter to announce its decision to donate Bitcoin worth AU$1.3 million as humanitarian help to Ukraine. It published a Tweet accompanied by a photo of a recent game for Watford FC, the English Premier League (EPL) club it currently sponsors and expressed its moral support to all innocent people involved in the ongoing military conflict.
Despite its moral and financial support for the Ukrainian people, however, Stake.com has not yet implemented measures to restrict Russian gamblers from accessing the platform of its cryptocurrency casino.
Earlier today, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald managed to access Stake.com using a VPN (virtual private network) software that made it appear the users were trying to access the cryptocurrency casino from Russia. The operator of the website had claimed that the platform was not available in Russia due to filtering by Roskomnadzor, the communications regulator of Russia, so there were no active users originating from the Russian Federation. It is yet to officially unveil some restrictions, and for the time being, it noted that it monitors transactions and operates in compliance with international sanctions against Russia.
Still, the cryptocurrency casino confirmed that its services are available in multiple languages, including Russian, because there is a large number of Russian-speaking customers around the world. Stake.com further noted that it is still considering the implementation of appropriate actions in line with the quickly changing political landscape.
Several Gambling Groups in the UK and US Suspend Russian Customers
Currently, the cryptocurrency casino offers a large range of traditional casino games, including blackjack, roulette, and slots. Apart from that, it has a prominent sports betting business that accepts wagers on a large number of sports.
When it comes to sanctions associated with the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, ordinary Russian citizens are not currently subject to sanctions. However, a few gambling groups in the UK and the US have moved to suspend Russian players from accessing their services because of the risk of people becoming subject to sanctions. Normally, Russian gamblers are some of the frequent customers of online casinos, while businesses from the Russian Federation contribute to the online casino sector through software, live casino shows, or other support services.
At the end of February, the gambling regulatory body of the UK issued an update to companies encouraging them to be careful of unintentionally helping politically exposed Russian citizens to violate the imposed sanctions. The watchdog has reminded the Commission to apply a risk-based approach to any customers, business relationships, or third parties associated with the Russian Federation.
On the other hand, sportsbook operators in the US – DraftKings, Caesars Entertainment, Superbook – have unveiled their own restrictions, as they no more accept sports wagers on Russian sporting events.
- Author
Olivia Cole
