Gaming companies involved in the market in Russia have published a letter sent to local authorities and legislatures, and the president's envoy, asking them to support a bill drafted by the assembly of the Far Eastern Primorye Territory, which proposes a delay in casino closures until the end of 2012.
The Rostov and Krasnodar regions are to host one of four gambling zones in Russia to accommodate casinos and other gambling establishments, which will be moved from Moscow and other cities by July 1, this year.
The companies have said illegal gambling would flourish and unemployment would grow as casinos and other gaming establishments closed. About 30 per cent of casinos have closed down across the country since January 2007, but the four gambling zones – are still at the planning stage.
The infrastructure of the Azov City gambling zone is yet to be built and at present cannot be accelerated due to the global financial crisis and the regional budgets’ deficits.
In the letter, companies propose that regional authorities should support the legislative initiative by the Primorye Territory’s assembly, which would enable the preservation of jobs, increase the regions’ tax revenues from the gaming business and would help investors build modern gaming facilities and create new jobs.
