AZOV CITY, Russia (AP) — Half a year after Russia closed all of its gambling casinos and slot-machine halls, the first new casino has opened under a plan to limit legalized gambling to four comparatively remote areas.
About 500 people showed up for Saturday’s opening of the Oracle casino in Azov City, a gambling zone in southern Russia. But only about 100 of them appeared to be actually placing bets.
The zone is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from Rostov-on-Don, the nearest sizable city, and 120 miles (200 kilometers) from Krasnodar.
It’s unclear how many Russians will be eager to travel long distances for a gambling excursion, but the casino’s operators say they’re convinced there’s a market and they plan to start building a four-star hotel for gamblers this summer.
