While online gaming - including online poker - is not currently legal in Russia, it hasn't stopped most online gaming operators from offering services to country's 144 million residents.
However, it may become more difficult for online gaming companies to operate within Russia due to a new Finance Bill introduced by the country's Finance Ministry, which if passed would prohibit banks from processing any online gaming transactions. The bill has strong support, including that of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is believed to have pushed for the bill to be presented to the country's legislators.