RSS Feed

Tech Support

Local officials in the southern city of Sochi gave the first casino license to a company called LLC Domain this week, as negotiations to introduce gambling in Russia's Crimea region are speeding up.

The LLC domain was founded in December by Singapore-based construction firm Silverron International Private Limited, with Mikhail Danilov serving as chief executive, according to the Asia Gaming Brief, which cited a report from TASS Russia News Service.

"On application, LLC Domain has obtained permission from Krasnodar Krai's property relations department to conduct activities for the organization and execution of gambling in the Krasnaya Poliana gambling area," Krasnodar Krai's officials said in a statement.

The Asia Gaming Brief reports that Danilov has stakes in Altai Krai and Primorsky gambling zones and local bookmakers Starbet and Bingo Boom, with a new Sochi casino expected to soft-launch around Christmas before full-scale opening in early .

The decision made casino gambling illegal in Russia, with the exception of four other regions: Kaliningrad Province in the Baltic Sea, the Far East Maritime Province, Krasnodar Province in the Black Sea, and Altai Province in Central Asia. Krasnaya Polyana, which is directly translated as "Red meadow" in Russian, was added to Krasnodar province , and Moscow approved a casino for the newly merged Crimea region