Boos found a place for cards
Georgiy Boos declared that the gaming zone will be located “a bit to the south of Yantarny town” situated on the coast of the Baltic Sea, virtually in the most western point of Russia. According to Boos, in the location he determined there are no buildings, and all the area of 5 square kilometers is the land of former agricultural grounds. In his turn, Alexander Blinov, Mayor of Yantarny town district, specified for the “Gazeta.Ru” that within the future gaming zone there are forestlands situated 1.5 km away from the seashore, and the very zone, consequently, will have an open outlet to the Baltic Sea.
Georgiy Boos made his statement after he returned from the MIRIM-2007 investment exhibition in Cannes. He remarked that in Cannes European and American companies had already addressed the regional authorities with offers of investments to the gaming zone. “The project is arousing interest of gambling operators from the USA, South Africa, countries of the Persian Gulf, Western Europe and Russia”, explained Boos. According Governor, the government of Kaliningrad region is supposed to act as and independent ordering party of the gaming zone development project, and after that it will sell individual “development spots”. The head of the region noted that an American architectural workshop had already agreed to design a draft project for the gaming zone. Governor preferred not to name the American architectural workshop.
The exact place of the gaming zone has not been announced yet, but it might be assumed that casinos will be built in the area of the small village of Povarovka, located 40 km away from Kaliningrad. One of the confirmations to it may be found in the project of building a speedway along the Baltic coast, “Primorskoye Coltso”, worked out by the regional government. In the only place – in the area of Povarovka and Russkoye villages – there will be two furnished descents to the seashore.
The very “gaming burden” will be laid on Yantarny town, in the neighbourhood of which there is Kaliningrad amber factory, the only in Russia. By now at the coast of Yantarny almost all the private buildings have been bought up, and land plots have been given for long-term rent and development. The prices for land have raised 3 times – at present the price of “a hundred” is above $3 thousand and, as realtors forecast, the price growth will continue – most likely, in geometric series.
Wherever the gaming zone is placed, the officials` choice has already been supported by the local gaming business. Boris Golovakha, President of Entertainment and Leisure Development Association (EALDA) of Kaliningrad region, said to the “Gazeta.Ru” that “the sea being available next to the gaming zone is a key factor for visitor attraction”. However, the head of Kaliningrad EALDA complained of the regional authorities being reluctant to cooperate with the Association. “We would like to have at least an advisory vote in discussing the gaming zone issue”, remarked Golovakha adding that the Association members even sent a letter offering their services and assistance to the President Plenipotentiary in North-Western Federal Territory Ilya Klebanov, but have received no answer yet.
It appears that the authorities are silent because the Kaliningrad officials are laying account, first of all, with the assistance of the capital gaming business which has much greater financial and administrative resources. According to Georgiy Boos, he “seemed to be the first governor” to have a meeting with Moscow gaming business representatives. “At that time I suggested that all the companies interested should contact me. All of them did”, he said.
“Gazeta.Ru”