The government of Azov-city, Russia to reduce gambling

The government of Azov-city is backing up the reduction of gambling other than liquidating the zone. In view of this Maxim Smolentsev, the Head of CJSC Shambala, a gaming operator based in Azov-city, received a notification to redefine the zone’s borders in which gambling is permitted. The Russian government was believed to strike down gambling in the zone, but the details of the redefining let the operators work in Azov-city.

 When Smolentsev received the notification he thought that the measure would set a precedent and mean that Azov-city was going to be liquidated, scheduled for January 1st, 2019. However, while the zone was supported to occupy 2000 hectares, the decree leaves 34 land lots of which 78.2 hectares are owned by the Development Agency and 78.8 hectares where three casinos, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues are located.

The head of CJSC remarked the importance of gambling in the zone, as residents have paid more than US$35 million in taxes. Residents wrote a letter to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in January to ask him to save the region from liquidation after the opening of Sochi, another gaming zone.