2018 FIFA World Cup Bookmakers and Russia

Russians and those of Russian ancestry will be betting heavily on the 2018 FIFA World Cup both because their team has qualified and their nation is hosting.  Bookmakers across the globe will be on high alert over the next few weeks as they will need to be able to identify their customers and any national pride. 

LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF RUSSIANS OUTSIDE OF RUSSIA

Today the largest ethnic Russian diasporas outside of Russia exist in former Soviet states such as Ukraine (about 8 million), Kazakhstan (3,644,529 / 20.61%) 2016, Belarus (about 1.2 million), Latvia (about 620,000), Uzbekistan (about 650, 000) and Kyrgyzstan (about 600,000).

RUSSIANS LIVING IN GERMANY

Germany is the favorite to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup but not everyone in Germany will be rooting for the Germans.

LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF RUSSIANS IN THE USA

Between 2.5 and three million Russian speaking people currently live in Germany. Most are ethnic Germans who came to the land of their forebears before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

While Nikolaevsk stands out as intimidating on this list, note that there are only 318 living there, just over 200 of which are presumubly of Russian ancestry.

Pikesville, Maryland has just over 30,000 total living there but bookies operating from the region should be on alert nonetheless.

The New York City metropolitan area has historically been the leading metropolitan gateway for Russian immigrants legally admitted into the United States.[8] Brighton Beach, Brooklyn continues to be the most important demographic and cultural center for the Russian American experience.

Bergen County in New Jersey now has one of the largest Russian-American populations in the country.

There is also a significant Russian population just north of Miami Beach in areas such as Sunny Isles Beach, Golden Beach and Hallandale Beach.

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com