The Shambala casino in Russia’s Primorye gaming zone, which is operated by Shambala NJSC, has begun Phase 2 construction after initially opening back in 2020.
According to a release from the Primorye Development Corp., Shambala was approved to start building a new 270-room hotel complex as well as casino expansions back in April. The cost of the new construction was estimated at about $85 million.
Underground and surface level structural work is underway, but the new facilities are not expected to open until 2025. According to the company, approximately 200 additional staff members will be needed to accommodate the new features.
Maxim Smolentsev, director of Shambala NJSC, told Asia Gaming Brief that the new second-phase developments “will provide all the necessary conditions for a good holiday,” including spa amenities, fitness facilities, and additional gaming space. With that said, the Shambala’s current 560,000 square-foot gaming floor is already the largest in Russia, according to Smolentsev.
Shambala was the second casino to open in Russia’s Primorye zone, following the Tigre de Cristal, which was opened in 2015 by Summit Ascent Holdings, which is based in Hong Kong. Summit Ascent recently announced that it was suspending Tigre de Cristal’s own Phase 2 plans to 2025 at the earliest, due to uncertainties surrounding the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Primorye gaming zone was originally expected to host up to a dozen casinos, but development has remained largely stagnant, with little optimism for the immediate future. NagaCorp, another Hong Kong-listed developer, originally had plans to build their own property in the region, but the company recently announced that it too was postponing construction until further notice.
