Russian-annexed Crimea will debut its long-awaited gaming zone by 2022, regional head Sergei Aksyonov, said in an interview with state news agency TASS.
“All decisions have been formalized, all agreements will be concluded this year. The place has already been determined at a public hearing—it is the village of Katsiveli” in the Yalta region, said Aksyonov. “During November, all procedures must be completed, the facility has already been prepared. We must complete everything in two years.”
He said the zone will primarily attract visitors. “Investors will be able to create this gambling zone in line with world standards,” Aksyonov said, adding that a “large” casino operator would soon confirm its Crimean project plans.
Last month, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed legislation formally approving the creation of a new “Golden Coast” gaming zone in Crimea. According to CalvinAyre.com, Western nations imposed financial sanctions on Russia following the 2014 invasion of Crimea, and the European Union recently extended its ban on member states making any investments in Crimea for another year. That means any investors will likely be from Russian companies or “some other nation with friendlier relations with Russia, such as China or Cambodia.” It cited as a possibility NagaCorp, a Cambodian operator now preparing the launch of its Naga Vladivostok casino in Russia’s Primorye gaming zone.
Russia banned most forms of gambling in 2009, limiting casinos to four remote gaming zones. Only the Primorye zone has attracted the interest of non-Russian operators. It currently hosts just one operating casino, Summit Ascent’s Tigre de Cristal.
