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Updated 7 October 2026

Yandex Money Casinos: The Wallet Is Now YooMoney — and Off the Table

Yandex.Money was a Russian e-wallet. It was renamed YooMoney in 2020 when Sberbank became its sole owner, and since 2022 both the wallet’s operator and its owner are under sanctions that stop licensed UK and EU casinos from processing it. This page explains the history and the alternatives.

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Yandex Money: now YooMoney; not offered at licensed casinos

This page does not rank casinos for it. These methods do the same job at licensed casinos:

What Yandex Money Was

Yandex.Money launched as the payments arm of Yandex, Russia’s largest internet company, and became a widely used e-wallet in Russia and neighbouring markets. For a time a number of casinos serving Russian-speaking players offered it in their cashiers, which is how “Yandex Money casinos” became a search term.

What Happened to It

Sberbank, Russia’s largest state-owned bank, bought a 75% stake in Yandex.Money in 2013. Under a reorganisation announced on 23 June 2020, Yandex sold its remaining 25% to Sberbank, and the service was renamed YooMoney. It now operates as YooMoney LLC under a Bank of Russia licence. The wallet did not become independent; it became a Sberbank subsidiary.

Since 2022 that ownership is the problem. Sberbank has been under a UK asset freeze since 6 April 2022 and an EU asset freeze since 21 July 2022, and YooMoney LLC itself appears on US sanctions lists. Asset-freeze rules prohibit making funds available to a designated entity or one it owns, so a casino licensed in the UK, Malta, Sweden or any EU state has no lawful way to accept a YooMoney deposit or send it a payout.

Can You Use YooMoney at a Casino Today?

Not at a licensed one serving UK or EU players. If you see a Yandex Money or YooMoney logo in a cashier, the operator is either showing a stale option or is not licensed in your market. We do not list casinos for this method, and we recommend against using any site that offers it to European players.

What to Use Instead

  • Skrill and Neteller — regulated e-wallets accepted at most licensed casinos for deposits and withdrawals.
  • PayPal — accepted by many UK-licensed casinos; note that PayPal’s buyer-protection programme does not cover gambling deposits.
  • Trustly — an instant bank transfer approved inside your own banking app, with no wallet to top up.
  • All payment methods — the full list of options we cover, by type.

Responsible Gambling

Whichever wallet you use, set a deposit limit in your casino account before you play and keep your gambling budget separate from the account that pays your bills. If gambling is causing concern, contact BeGambleAware or GamCare for free, confidential support.

Yandex Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Yandex Money Casinos: The Wallet Is Now YooMoney — and Off the Table below.

Is Yandex Money the same as YooMoney?
Yes. Yandex.Money was renamed YooMoney in 2020 after Sberbank bought the 25% stake it did not already own. The wallet is now a Sberbank subsidiary operating under a Bank of Russia licence.
Can I use YooMoney at a UK or EU online casino?
No. Sberbank has been under UK and EU asset freezes since 2022 and YooMoney LLC is on US sanctions lists, so a licensed casino cannot process payments to or from it. Use a regulated e-wallet such as Skrill or Neteller, or an instant bank transfer such as Trustly.
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