Will unnamed investor pull out of scheme?
Last October, the government of Crimea announced that “all the works” were in place for on a gambling zone in the Russian annex. Now they seem to be rethinking their plans.
According to Asia Gaming Brief, Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksenyov has established a committee to find a new location for the zone. The group includes 14 local officials including Vice Premier Vitaly Nakhlupin.
Tourism chief Alexei Chernyak told Pravda the authorities are looking for a bigger lot. “The area we already selected is too small, we hope it will be bigger. It is not yet known if it will be situated in the south of Crimea or in any other region,” Chernyak said.
In 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law to create a gaming zone in Crimea by 2019. Two years later, authorities identified a 16-hectare (40-acre) parcel near the Black Sea resort of Yalta on the Crimean Peninsula. An unnamed Russian investor reportedly was about to invest RUB8 billion (US$137 million) in the complex.
Crimean Construction Minister Sergei Kononov told ForPost the investor may withdraw from the project if the zone is relocated.
