1xBet usurps Azino777 on Russia’s online video advertising charts

Online betting operator 1xBet has usurped online casino operator Azino777 as the top gambling company among Russia’s biggest online video advertisers.

On Tuesday, Russian media outlet RBC reported on new Mediascope data for the country’s top online video advertisers during the first quarter of 2019. The chart was led by tech giants Google, which accounted for 3.3% of all online video ads, followed by PepsiCo with 3.1% while the Curacao-licensed 1xBet ranked third with 2.4%.

There is a Russian-licensed version of 1xBet (1xStavka) but it’s only allowed to offer online sports betting, while the international versions of the site feature slots, poker and other casino games. There are currently 1,635 1xBet-affiliated domains listed on the online gambling blacklist of Russia’s telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor.

Previous reports showed the Curacao-licensed Azino777 topping Russia’s online video advertising chart, but Mediascope says the site has slid all the way to 60th on the Q1 chart with a mere 0.3% share of total online video ad views. The downgrade may have something to do with Russian interest in Azino777’s founders, who were outed in a media exposé in February.