By July 1st this year no less than 300 gambling facilities will be left in Moscow
By July 1st this year no less than 300 gambling facilities will be left in Moscow, 22 of them casinos. It was reported to journalists today by the vice mayor of Moscow Joseph Ordjonikidze. He reminded that, pursuant to the federal and the city legislation, the operations of gambling facilities not complying with the legislative requirements, had to be terminated by that date.
“Since January 1st, over 2 thousand casinos and slot halls have been closed in the city; at the beginning of the year there were 2900 of them all in all”, said the official, and added that “in the capital city about 600 gambling facilities are in operation now”. “No more than 360-370 gambling facilities will be left in the city. About 50 are being clarified now. I think that there will be at least 300, sure”, remarked Ordjonikidze, saying that all casinos and slot halls that would be left in the city would comply with all the legislative requirements.
According to the official, at the moment there are no slot machines in shops. As Ordjonikidze reminded, pursuant to the city law requirements to gaming business, venues shall correspond to the following: for casinos – no less than 3 thousand sqm, for slot halls – no less than 200 sqm. Meanwhile there shall be no less than 30 gaming tables and 60 slot machines; the same number of slot machines is allowed for installation in slot halls. Casinos shall provide restaurant, bar and concert floor facilities, slot halls shall have bars, lavatories and cloakrooms. Another requirement is to prove net assets of no less than 600 million rubles.
With regards to the initiative of the 54-people group, which includes Alexander Lebedev, a deputy of the RF State Duma, and the Moscow branch of the “Spravedlivaya Rossiya” party, on pre-term closure of gambling facilities in the capital city – by January 1st, 2008, not by July 1st, 2009, Ordjonikidze said that “there is a law setting forth the timeframes, and Moscow will act according to the law”. According to the official, the initiative is “a private opinion and interests of a group of people”.
ITAR-TASS materials