MOSCOW, December 25 (RAPSI) - Senators have approved legislative amendments that ban private lotteries starting from July 1, 2014. The law stipulates that only two kinds of lotteries will be legal starting from July, the National Lottery and the International Lottery (held in two and more states, including Russia, under an international agreement with Russia).

The lotteries will be held on a tender basis, with the tenders organized by two agencies, the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Finance. The law also bans lotteries that require gaming equipment, including gambling machines.

Only over 18s are allowed to take part. During election campaigns and referenda, lotteries are prohibited if the prize depends on voting results.

The Code of Administrative Offenses will be expanded with an article stipulating fines for holding lotteries that have not been approved by the government, as well as for violating the terms of prize payments, refusing to supply the prize, or failing to publish the lottery’s annual report in the media.