Russia is considering declaring poker predominantly a "game of skill" and requiring online poker operators to be licensed and regulated under Russian law. Although the timing of these measure remain uncertain, observers believe the move could come within months.

For non-gamblers, this may seem a retrograde step — back to the shadier, no-holds-barred days when poker first moved online. Scandal after scandal involving poker websites led to the first significant attempt at policing the industry, the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA).

The UIGEA made financial transactions related to online gambling effectively illegal for US citizens, destroying a third of the global online gaming industry in a single stroke.