Putin Creates a Stir

Russian President Vladimir Putin shocked everyone yesterday when he announced that he is trying to close down all gambling businesses and move them out of the main areas. He wants to move them to areas that are currently uninhabited. He wants to put the slot machines and gambling casinos in four locations: one in the Russian Far East, one in Siberia, and the last two in Central Russia.  

The current slot machine owners and operators make roughly $5.5 billion a year as it stands now, and they would see all of their money now broken up into four “gaming zones” – which would be operated by large international companies. The Duma had been discussing limiting the expansion of slot machines and gambling, and it ended with Putin saying that he wanted to all but eliminate it.  

The law “On the Gaming Business in the Russian Federation” states that it would take place in two steps. The first step would place a ban on establishments with less than 50 slot machines until July 2007. The second step would move all of the remaining casinos, bookmakers, etc. to one of the four federal gaming zones by January 1, 2009. 

This is a huge change for the slot machine operators, as they have had pretty much free reign up until now. They are now going to be much more restricted and regulated, as slot machines are for the most part in many European countries.  It is very similar to Italy, as they only allow gaming in four zones as well.

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