Moscow authorities close 70% of city gambling facilities
Almost 70% of Moscow’s casinos and slot machine parlors had been closed recently, Moscow deputy mayor Iosif Ordzhonikidze said at a press conference.
The official noted, however, that tax revenues of the Moscow budget from gambling have declined by just 3 percent.
Over 2,000 from total 2,720 gambling houses have been closed, so tax revenues were supposed to decline substantially Iosif Ordzhonikidze said. According to the independent research, the owner of just one slot machine makes an average profit of us$ 10,000 per month. Gambling business tax returns have struck a seven billion ruble mark, roughly us$ 260 million.
Moscow has no intention of becoming the Las Vegas of Russia and is strongly opposed to plans for a gambling zone in or near the city, according to deputy mayor Iosif Ordzhonikidze. He said that the proposed gambling zone must be placed ’in the middle of a barren field’ and that he would oppose one in the town of Ramenskoye, a region of Moscow which has been named as a potential site.
"Moscow will not lay claim to hosting a zone of gambling outlets and will never accept such an offer," he said. "We are against the idea of a gambling zone close to Moscow’s perimeter beltway, we are against our roads, our people, and our infrastructures being involved in servicing such a zone. "We shall object to the creation of such a zone in the town of Ramenskoye, too, as well as in any other district center close to Moscow,” Ordzhonikidze added.
Ordzhonikidze said that the position of the city’s authorities was a "clear reply to all those who think that Moscow is reluctant to lose control of the gambling industry."