Gambling News by Gambling Headquarters

The Moscow City Duma amended a law on Thursday that manages gambling industry, making requirements for owners of casinos and slot-machine halls stricter. The gambling industry is unfazed by the changes as no laws can surpass the new federal law which nearly bans gambling in Russia in 2009. The Moscow legislature passed the city law a day after the State Duma passed a similar federal blueprint, moving all casinos to four gambling havens in 2009 and laying down requirements for the operation of casinos and slot-machine halls until this time. Moscow has made the federal norms even harsher, binding city casinos to have the area of at least 3,000 sq. meters (800 sq. meters in the federal law) and no less than 200 sq. meters for game arcades (100 sq. meters in the Russian law). A casino in Moscow must have at least 30 gaming tables and slot-machine halls must have at least 60 machines. Currently 32 casinos and some 140 gambling halls in Moscow meet these requirements, Moscow Deputy Mayor Iosif Ordzhonikidze says. The official noted that the city budget would not suffer after some gambling establishments are closed down because most small gambling firms evade tax paying. Lavrentiy Gubin from Storm International which operates slot-machine halls says that "requirements of Moscow authorities are quite feasible, though the minimal area for casinos is probably set too high." Gambling companies are more worried about the margin of net assets for their companies. "Not all of the 32 casinos will be able to drive up their assets to $23 million," Gubin noted. Boris Belotserkovsky, co-owner of Ritzio Entertainment Group, estimates that the Moscow law will halve the number of casinos in the city and will leave only 25 percent of slot-machine halls working.