Russia: 315 more Moscow gambling venues to be closed down
315 more casinos will be closed down in Moscow until the end of 2006, RBC news agency reports with reference to the department of foreign affairs. In early 2006 there were 2,770 gambling establishments. Nine of them have been closed recently. 1,915 more casinos and slot halls were moved away from the town.
Experts estimate that about 330 thousand Moscow residents are gambling addicts. Although the number of casinos has been reduced considerably in the capital, and some of gambling establishments have been moved out of the precincts of the city, it is sill a long way to the solution of this problem.
Moscow City Duma passed amendments to the bill "On state control of gambling business and betting" on September 13th. According to the amendments, it is prohibited to open casinos and slot-machine halls in blocks of apartments, while now they may be located at any floor of a block of flats, in the shops, dressmaking establishments, hairdressers’ etc.