The Federation Council approved the law on state regulation of gaming business
The Federation Council approved the law “On state regulation of activities involved in gambling organization and arrangement and on introducing changes to some RF legislative regulations”. The law states that within the territory of Russia 4 gaming zones may be set up, and determines the locations of these zones: Kaliningrad, Altay and Primorie regions and the borderline territory between Rostov and Krasnodar regions.
The law prohibits arranging gaming zones within residential areas and states that gaming zones shall have been set up by July 1st, 2007, and by July 1st, 2009, all gambling facilities shall have been transferred to them. However, the law allows bookmakers’ activities outside gaming zones.
According to the document, from July 1st, 2007, all locations not complying with the set requirements shall have been closed. In particular, the requirements are as follows: net assets of a legal entity shall be no less than 600 mln rubles for gambling operators in slot machine parlours and casinos, and no less than 100 mln rubles – in bookmakers’ offices and totalizators. A technically installed average gain from a lost machine shall be no less than 90%. The number of slot machines located in a parlour shall be no less than 50 in the area of no less than 100 square metres; in a casino there shall be no less than 10 gaming tables in the area of no less than 800 square metres.
The law also provides for the right of the RF constituent territories to decide on banning or restricting activities of certain gaming business kinds till July 1st, 2007. If these decisions have been made by them earlier, they will still be effective.
The document provides for the ban to organize and arrange gambling activities via information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet.
RBC