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“MOSCOW, October 4 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s president said Wednesday the government has drafted an array of amendments to laws regulating the gaming business in Russia.
Vladimir Putin said law enforcement agencies were currently investigating a number of gambling outlets on suspicion of illegal activities. Police in Moscow temporarily closed down a casino and a hotel Tuesday for suspected links with the Georgian mob.
“Today, I will submit to you draft amendments to the existing laws. I hope State Duma deputies will finalize and adopt them in the very near future,” the president said. “They should drastically turn around the situation in this sector.”
He said gambling and alcohol abuse is causing Russia serious moral and financial damage.”
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Source:http://en.rian.ru/russia/20061004/54509182.htmlI’m russian immigrant and perhaps can shed some light on this one. That news is associate with current stand off between Russia and Georgia. Many people don’t know that lots of casinos in Russia is owned or served as money laundering facility for Georgian crime lords. Government was igonring it until current political developments between two countries.
So to be short – this “tightening” is nothing more then cracking down on georgian “business” in Russia. It’s just a political play. Georgian president ppurs shit on Russia, where lots of very powrefull georgian people make money – Russia makes it hard for those people to make money. I guess the hope is to create an opposition that will through out Saakashvili. He deserves it anyway, since he feeds directly from hands of Bush.
It is not only about the conflict between Russia and Georgia, it is much deeper. Maybe georgians operated that casino in Moscow that was closed by local authorities, but it turned out to be just a good excuse to create a pressure on the whole gambling community, to move towards fundamental changes in the industry. It is just the very beginning.
Check here: http://www.easybourse.com/Website/dynamic/News.php?NewsID=67120&lang=fra&NewsRubrique=2
and here:
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/10/05/gambling.shtml
