Russian casinos started to move to Minsk

In July an opening of “Shangri La” casino is planned in Belarus. Previously the casino worked at the Russian market.

Representatives of the international holding Storm International, to which the Belarusian casino belongs, told to BDG that opening of the first part of the casino is to take place in the 20ies of July.

Storm International, which has entered the Belarusian market, was registered in the Netherlands in 1993. In Russia the Dutch holding occupied the leading positions in the gambling market, the holding owned 5 large casinos (“Shangri La”, “New York”, “Udarnik”, “Karnaval” and “Jazz Town”), and a newtwork “Super Slots” and 26 gambling halls.

On July 1 a law “On state regulations of organizing and holding gambling games” came in force. Under the law, all casinos and gambling halls must be transferred in 4 zones (Krasnodar, Altay, Kaliningrad and Primorsky Regions). In this connection this spring Dutch holding Storm International decided to move its gambling business outside Russia. And started to build a casino in Minsk.

In the Moscow office of the holding it was said that “Shangri La” casino opens in Minsk in July. In the announcement made by Storm Internatonal, it was stated that there would 12 gambling tables and 70 slot-machines in Minsk “Shangri La” casino, two bars, a restaurant, a sports-bar with a possibility to accept bets. The size of Minsk casino to make 1,500 square metres.

Storm International plans to attract to Minsk not only Belarusian, but Russian clients too. The owner of the Belarusian “Dankov-Club” Yury Dankov supposes that foreign companies’ entering the Belarusian gambling market would cause the number of foreigners I Belarusian casinos to grow.

But except for money, Russian criminality is to come to Minsk too. Districts were casinos are situated, are usually leading in crime reports. People drink in casino, and sometimes lose all the money, so they have nothing to lose.

One should also remember about gambling addiction. Many people who get into the world of casino where no clocks or sunlight exist, stay there until gambling away everything including a house and the last set of clothes, and goes for treatment in a special hospital.

Besides, a casino is a paradise for economic crimes. In the quiet Belarus where only 30 casinos work at the moment, in 2008 the Financial police of the State Control Committee in the sphere of money laundering detected 15 crimes for a sum of several hundred thousands dollars. So what will happen after much more casinos open?

And profits which casinos would bring to our budget are imaginary. If Russians would build gambling houses here, and our neighbours from Moscow would play there, Belarus would become just a postbox for foreign money. Only peanuts would stay in the country.