There are several gambling zones in Russia where land-based casinos operate. Today, these are "Sibirskaya Korona" in Altai, "Primorye" in the region of the same name, "Yantarnaya" in the Kaliningrad region and "Krasnaya Polyana" in Sochi. Of course, gambling establishments that operate in the Russian Federation are difficult to compare with the famous casinos of Las Vegas, Reno or Macau. However, as they say, for lack of better, you have to be content with this. One of the most profitable and quite frequently visited was the gambling zone "Azov-City", which is now closed due to imperfect legislation.
After the opening of Krasnaya Polyana in the Krasnodar Region, it was necessary to liquidate the "goose that lays golden eggs", since according to the law, several gambling zones cannot operate in one region. Today, it is the casino in Sochi that has become the most visited not only by Russian citizens, but also by foreigners. Nevertheless, after the decision was made to open a gambling recreational zone in Crimea, there is no doubt that it can become a serious competitor to the existing ones. In addition, we must not forget that the goal of building a casino in Crimea is not only to fill the budget through tax deductions, but also the policy pursued by the Russian government.
"Gold Coast": what will be offered to gamers
Russian President V.V. Putin made the decision to build a new gambling zone in Crimea back in 2014. The casino on the peninsula will be built on the southern coast, in the Yalta area. About 15 hectares have been allocated for the organization of the gambling zone. It is not difficult to guess that the main visitors of the gambling establishment will most likely be tourists coming to the Black Sea for summer vacations.
In fact, the idea of opening a casino in Crimea appeared during the period of the peninsula's accession to Ukraine. However, after the territory was annexed to the Russian Federation, this idea turned into real political will. However, Russian businessmen were in no hurry to invest in the new project, as they had good reason to fear sanctions from Western countries. In 2018, the head of Crimea S. Aksenov promised that the casino in Crimea would be opened in 2019, and the names of investors and founders would be kept secret.
According to rumors, the owners of famous companies Royal City Group, Shambala and some others were ready to invest in the organization of the gambling zone "Golden Coast". However, there is no confirmation of this. Delays in the construction of the new casino can also be explained by the fact that the popular zone "Krasnaya Polyana" is located just 500 kilometers from Crimea.
According to the latest information that appeared at the end of last year, the "Management Company of Infrastructure Projects" will be engaged in the construction of the IRZ. Since local residents have always been categorically opposed to the construction of a casino in the region due to concerns that the landscape could be spoiled, the company promised that it would be very careful with natural objects, preserve and, if necessary, restore all surrounding attractions.
As a result, it was announced that the new gambling zone would start operating in 2024. The site for the construction of the casino will be the territory of the former sanatorium "Fortuna". The government, investors and all people interested in the project understand that "Golden Coast" will be focused exclusively on Russian players. At least in the next few years. It is unlikely that foreigners living in distant countries will go to a republic that is not recognized worldwide. This was the reason that the previously planned investment of 8 billion rubles was reduced to 3 billion. According to authorities, the project should pay off within 8-10 years.
Despite the fact that the "Gold Coast" will clearly not compete with the famous establishments of Macau or the USA, it can be safely said that the income from the gambling business will definitely not be superfluous for the budget of the peninsula, which, although it receives impressive funds from the Federal Center, is still in a rather deplorable state due to numerous sanctions imposed by a large number of foreign countries.
