The betting industry in Russia is going through an interesting period. On one hand, it is a profitable and popular vertical involving millions of Russians—according to the State Duma, around 14–16 million Russian residents are currently involved in betting. On the other hand, there is still a shadow segment in the market — the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) estimates the illegal gambling sector, including offshore online bookmakers, amount to approximately 300 billion rubles. Experts believe that the total amount of illegal bookmakers in the Russian market has increased from 20% to 30-35% in 2024 alone.
Overall, the betting market in Russia is developing in a rather contradictory manner:
Pros: Strengthening the Position of Russian Betting
- Turnover is growing. In 2024, the turnover of bets accepted by licensed bookmakers reached 1.7 trillion rubles, which is 40% more than in 2023.
- The audience is expanding. More and more Russian residents, almost one in ten, are participating in betting games. The TAdviser internet portal provides the following figures for 2024: more than 2 million Russians place bets at least once a month, and the average bet size for the year increased by 18.9% to 1,268 rubles.
- Attitudes toward betting are changing. Society is becoming less toxic toward sports betting, perceiving it more as a form of leisure.
- Money stays in the country. Restrictions on international payments and sanctions reduce capital outflows, and the funds that remain in Russia increase the volume of the domestic market.
Cons: Pressure on Bookmakers in Russia
- Increased government regulation. In October 2024, the State Duma passed a bill prohibiting bookmakers from accepting bets from minors, citizens with limited legal capacity, and alimony debtors.
- Increased fiscal burden. From January 1, 2024, bookmakers’ targeted contributions to support sports increased from 1.5% to 2%. In 2026, they are projected to be increased to 2.25%, and by 2030 — to 2.5%.
- Decreased margins. Competition between top bookmakers is heating up, and amid rising taxes and mandatory payments, medium and small players are losing profitability. Experts predict qualitative growth only for three or four of the largest companies, while the rest will either maintain their current positions or begin to taper off.
- Isolation of Russian sports. The limited participation of Russian clubs and athletes in international tournaments reduces audience interest and negatively affects the number of bets and bookmakers’ revenues.
Fact: According to H2GC forecasts, in 2025, sports betting will generate 55% of gross revenue from online betting and gaming.
Leading Bookmakers in the 2025 Rankings
The global betting industry in 2025 remains a battleground for betting titans — competition in the online sports betting market is too fierce for small companies without large-scale investments. Global leaders Bet365, 888 Holdings, Super Group, Pinnacle, William Hill, 1xBet, Fortuna Entertainment Group, and other heavyweights maintain their positions, preventing smaller players from breaking into the top ranks, and continue to set trends.
Russian Market: Reshuffling in the Top Bookmakers of 2025
Russian legal bookmakers with FNS licenses are fighting fiercely for every customer. Fifteen licensed operators (excluding offshore and black bookmakers) are constantly “shuffling” in the rankings, offering various “goodies,” bonuses, insurance, or reliable payouts.
The main change is that the bookmaker PARI has significantly improved its position and has become the leader in most ratings. Since the top bookmakers can vary in terms of bonuses, lines, live bets, odds, and other criteria, in some cases, Winline, Olimpbet, or Fonbet top the ratings. Marathonbet and Leon are considered the top bookmakers in terms of the most favorable odds.
What has changed in the bookmaker ratings over the year:
- The Bryansk Arbitration Court revoked the license of the Russian bookmaker 1xStavka, and after losing its membership in the First SRO and ERAI in 2024, the company withdrew from the Russian market.
- BC Bettery resumed its activities after a suspension, making a comeback with rebranding and a new platform.
The betting industry in the CIS countries has its own characteristics due to differences in legislation and approaches to advertising, and different rules mean different market leaders:
- Belarus: in 2025, eight bookmakers are operating under license, with Betera, Fonbet BY, Marathon, and Winline BY recognized as the best.
- Kazakhstan: 10 licensed operators, with Pin-Up KZ, Olimpbet KZ, Parimatch, Ubet, Winline KZ, and Tennisi KZ named the top betting companies in 2025.
- Armenia: Four bookmakers with licenses to accept bets: VivaroBet (VBet), Totogaming, Goodwinbet, and Europefootball (Efubet). Offshore bookmakers are not prohibited in the country, and the use of foreign resources for betting is not regulated or restricted.
Betting 2025: Those Who Don't Upgrade Will Be Left Behind
In modern sports betting, UX/UI, response speed, and convenience are sometimes more important than bonuses and promo codes. In 2025, players will expect bookmakers to provide quick access to bets, automatic data analysis, and personalized content. Therefore, the trends in bookmaker development are becoming:
➔ Cross-platform and instant access
Users want to place bets here and now, without downloading anything extra, so you can forget about heavy applications that take up phone memory. The faster the access to the line, the higher the player’s engagement and betting frequency. Both the old but reliable method of SMS betting for those with slow internet or no access to apps, and lightweight mobile versions of websites, PWA apps, and Telegram bots, which allow you to place bets directly in the messenger without going to the website, are welcome.
➔ Artificial intelligence and Big Data
AI and big data have long been a must-have in betting. It helps bookmakers to more accurately predict bettors’ behavior and track their average check and betting frequency, and helps players make more informed bets based on data, statistics, or instant insights into the course of the match.
Fact: According to PwC, 38% of industry experts believe that AI will become a key driver of sports content, including betting.
➔ Automation and instant payouts
Most players don’t want to wait days for their winnings. If a bookmaker makes payments quickly, it speaks to their reliability and financial stability. And in order not to lose customers, bookmakers are doing everything possible to speed up this process. They use automatic bet calculation, where the system itself checks the outcome and credits the winnings in seconds, instant payouts, where the cashout is transferred to the wallet or card as quickly as possible, and verification without delays thanks to neural networks.
Fact: the speed of payouts is one of the main factors when choosing a bookmaker. The faster a player receives their money, the more likely they are to return.
➔ Voice assistants, chatbots, VR, and AR
VR broadcasts and VR betting apps may become mainstream, but so far, VR has not taken off. Neither has the idea of placing bets via Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant. The development and implementation of such technologies are not yet paying off. Therefore, bookmakers are focusing on what is available — improving AI chatbots that simplify contact and help users quickly find the events they need. These are no longer just “chatterboxes,” but real assistants that are available 24/7.
Fact: According to Gartner, in 2025, companies using chatbots for customer service will be able to reduce operating costs by 30%.
Advertising and Promotion of Betting in 2025
In betting, advertising is essential — odds and bonuses are more or less the same for everyone, but who attracts more players depends on marketing. Despite significant legislative restrictions, in 2024, the online sports betting advertising market skyrocketed — two betting companies immediately appeared among Russia’s largest advertisers (Fonbet and Liga Stavok).
Fact: according to Digital Budget, Fonbet spent ₽4.2 billion on digital promotion in just three quarters of 2024, while Liga Stavok spent ₽2.8 billion.
The bookmaking industry is indeed one of the most dependent on advertising. At the same time, strict legislative restrictions do not prevent it from remaining one of the most creative in terms of marketing. And although the FAS closely monitors the advertising activity of betting, bookmakers and advertising agencies have room to maneuver in the digital environment. We are seeing growing interest in native integrations, affiliate programs, and content sponsorship — brands are literally merging with the media and bloggers, becoming part of the audience's information field.
The main areas of promotion for bookmakers in 2025:
➔ Mobile — betting on smartphones
Smartphones have long been the main window into the world of betting for bettors, and for bookmakers — an excellent opportunity to find potential players. If a person spends 5+ hours a day on their phone, where else can you catch them if not there? Therefore, despite some problems with fraud, In-App remains a gold mine for bookmaker promotion. According to forecasts, by 2028, mobile advertising will account for up to 70% of total advertising spending.
In 2025, in-app marketing will continue to develop in the direction of personalization. Advertising platform algorithms will use AI to analyze user behavior more accurately and offer them relevant offers at the most appropriate moment. (Won a mobile game? Catch a banner with a betting bonus).
Fact: The Federal Antimonopoly Service closely monitors the advertising activities of bookmakers, especially in traditional media such as television and radio. The in-app advertising format creates certain difficulties for the complete control and regulation of bookmakers' advertising activities, leaving loopholes for circumventing the established restrictions.
A very interesting trend is the strengthening of OEM advertising. Chinese smartphone brands, which are increasingly conquering the Russian market, offer built-in advertising formats, and the combination of OEM + In-App + AI may provide bookmakers with the most accurate and effective traffic.
In betting, affiliate marketing is one of the most powerful traffic channels. Advertising agencies working with bookmakers build affiliate networks, including cappers, Telegram channel owners, webmasters, leading betting sites, and bloggers. They work through CPA, RevShare, or hybrid schemes. The main incentive is exclusive conditions: increased rates, personal bonuses, and loyalty programs.
➔ Affiliate Marketing
Fact: in 2024, CPA networks and bookmaker affiliate programs increased their payouts by 30% compared to 2023.
Bookmakers are increasingly betting on closed affiliate programs with increased payouts for verified affiliates. At the same time, however, regulatory control is tightening: advertising requirements are strict, and gray promotion schemes are subject to monitoring.
➔ Advertising on social media and with bloggers
In Russian betting, advertising on social media and with bloggers acts as a workhorse that provides quality traffic, from product placement on popular Telegram and YouTube channels to live broadcasts featuring cappers and experts. An excellent example of how a bookmaker can organically integrate into media content is the show “Chas Tuz” on the OK channel with Garik Kharlamov (Winline).
Fact: native formats on social media provide 35% higher engagement than traditional banners, and more than 70% of the audience prefers content that is organically integrated into their information space.
Advertising agencies and bookmakers will actively collaborate with micro- and nano-influencers and adapt content to more local and segmented audiences, which will partially allow them to circumvent strict restrictions and increase conversion rates.
➔ Mobile app promotion and ASO
Up to 60% of all online players start their betting journey with a search in the App Store or Google Play, so app promotion will remain relevant in 2025. AppsFlyer, in its annual report on mobile app trends for 2024, says that the number of bookmaker app downloads worldwide has grown by 93%.
Fact: According to STAVKA TV, the best mobile app of 2024 in the Russian betting industry is BetBoom.
For bookmakers, mobile apps are often the main source of traffic and player retention. But without competent ASO and advertising, even a top-rated app will remain in the shadows. That is why bookmakers are now actively investing in promotion — according to Sensor Tower, spending on advertising apps in the 'Betting' category has grown by more than 50%. Without optimizing store listings, testing creatives, investing in Apple Search Ads and Google App Campaigns, and strong marketing, the app will get lost, and organic growth will no longer be enough.
The betting industry is more dependent on advertising than others, and despite pressure from regulators, there are plenty of options for promoting bookmakers — from logos on videos and attracting ambassadors to advanced SEO and in-app advertising. Some bookmakers advertise themselves well through CSR (corporate social responsibility) — for example, Betera actively promotes its brand through volunteering and participation in charitable projects. Some stand out with substantial prizes — Liga Stavok was the first in the history of the Russian betting industry to raffle off a car (Rolls-Royce Ghost).
In 2025, those who are one step ahead will be those who do not just pour money into their budgets, but build smart marketing strategies. Everything is important here: competent ASO optimization, working with affiliates, creativity on social media, native integrations, and adaptation to changing trends. Because without strong advertising, it is difficult to survive in betting — competitors will simply trample you.
