Russia has its 20th locally licensed online bookmaker as website traffic improves and Moscow’s betting shops begin to reopen following their COVID-19 closure.

Russian sports bettors recently woke to discover Bettery, a new legal online wagering option operating via the web, as well as iOS and Android devices. Bettery is a member of the Bookmakers SRO, one of two rival ‘self-regulatory organizations,’ whose members also include Leon, Marathon, Olimp and Fonbet, Russia’s largest bookmaker.

Bettery is run under License No. 11, which was issued in 2009 to the Moscow-based Atlantic-M LLC. Corporate documents indicate that Atlantic-M is 75% owned by Malfinio Ltd, a Cyprus-based company of equally mysterious provenance.

Russian media outlet The Bell reported in April that attempts to contact Atlantic-M by its listed phone number were answered by an individual who had no clue about any bookmaking activities. The Bell also claimed that the other 25% of Bettery is collectively owned by Stanislav Magomedov, Irina Borodina and Maxim Kiryukhin, who also hold minority positions in Fonbet.