Russia legalises gambling in Crimea

Russian president, Vladimir Putin signed a law setting up a gambling zone in Crimea.

Gambling is to become legal in Crimea, after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law setting up a gambling zone in the territory that Russia annexed from Ukraine in March this year.

The new law is designed to increase investment and tourism in Crimea, particularly in its network of Black Sea holiday resorts.

However, Western states refuse to recognise Crimea’s unification with Russia, and the West’s relationship with Russia has become increasingly strained after Russian-backed rebels blew a Malaysian passenger plane out of the sky over Ukraine, killing 298 people.

While the annexation of Crimea followed a referendum on self-determination that was virtually bloodless, it nevertheless encouraged pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine to take up arms against the new authorities in Kiev.

Because of this crisis, there were serious concerns that Crimea’s tourist revenue would fall sharply this summer.

Russia has attempted to sustain its summer tourism with a range of holiday promotions, while state-run companies are being encouraged to give their workers holidays on the peninsula. Other initiatives include visa-free travel to Crimea for Chinese tourists.

The new gambling law also extends the gambling zone in Russia’s southern Krasnodar territory, thus covering the city of Sochi with its Winter Olympics venues.

According to Russian media reports, casinos are expected to be built near the Olympic Village.

The other three gambling zones were set up in Russia’s Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, the Far East and Siberia’s Altai territory.

Four official gambling zones were created in Russia five years ago when the authorities acted to curb betting.

A treaty allowing for Crimea’s reunification with Russia was signed on March 18, following a referendum held on March 16. More than 96% of voters who refused to recognize new Kiev government, supported region’s integration into the Russian Federation.