Lights shut off forever...Arbat street is dead. And with that street, all gambling industry in Moscow is in mourn. Starting 1st of July (tomorrow actually), roulette tables and other slot machines will be banned in Moscow. The city that was famous to gather more casinos and entertainment centers than in entire Europe is going to change dramatically. No limelight anymore. Only billboards saying 'Closed Casino' or 'For Rent'.
The government has decided to authorize gambling in only 4 zones in Russia: Azov Sea Region, Kaliningrad, Altai Region and Vladivostok...not easy to waste your money after a drinking party in the center of Moscow. Apart of threatening more than 10.000 jobs in tghe industry in Moscow, that decision is the result of a political debate. Obviously, most of the casinos are handled by Georgian families and businessmen and the current political situation did not help to save the business.
Well, now, we will have a good reason to save a bit of more money.
(Photos: Dirrty Frank, missing already the moscovite 'Broadway')
4 comments:
Les jeux sont faits...
what shall we do now with les jetons left from Metelitza?? i don't want to fly to Vladivostok to cash them!
few casino facts:
- Over last night, 115 militia units checked all the 513 legal casinos in Moscow, in 349 of them they found that the equipment has not been dissembled yet.
- The four mentioned zones are not ready to welcome the gambling business yet, and it will take from 3 to 4 years to develop the areas
- The annual overall tax to Moscow budget from casinos was about 5,5 billion rubles
- Good Muscovites can report about non-compliance: 633-62-62. hahaha
I've been in Kaliningrad in May and moved through that 'zone'. Nothing there but empty grass feelds only.
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