Betfred shuts down Russia poker operations

UK bookmaker Betfred has closed its poker room in Russia, with users complaining of the bookmaker's actions on specialized forums.

According to reports from Gambling News and the poker room's clients, earlier in July, they received a message saying that "from Tuesday, 25 July, we won't be able to keep accounts for Russian Federation residents. If you have money left on your betting account, you should withdraw them because after this date you will be unable to get access to your user account".

The company did not explain its decision in a statement.

Earlier this month, another bookmaker PariMatch, originating from Ukraine, sold its trademark to a local company for 10 years. It cited a change of the Russian legislation in regard to bookmaking companies and the company's expansion plans, with the focus on Europe, Asia, and Africa, as key reasons behind the move.

Last month, PariMatch closed all its betting shops in Russia in a bid to concentrate on online gambling.

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