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The State Duma on Wednesday passed in its third and final reading the draft of the new federal law which defines four special zones in Russia allowed to host gambling facilities. Primorye region entered the list.

Besides Primorye, the gambling territories will be situated in the Altai region, on the border of the Krasnodarsky and Rostov regions and in the Kalinigradsky region in western Russia, a statement from the State Duma's site www.duma.gov.ru reported. The project was voted in by 428 deputies, therefore safely passing the required quota of 226 votes.

According to the law, gambling businesses will be required to receive a five-year license to conduct their activities. All small gambling enterprises should be eliminated by July 1, 2007. To open a new casino or gambling hall, a company is required to possess assets amounting to over 600 million rubles ($22.8 million), with a minimum of 100 million rubles in assets ($3.8 million) to operate as a bookie.

The regulation imposes a minimum average payback from gambling machines at 90 percent, the casino’s total minimum area at 800 square meters and the minimum area of a gambling hall at 100 square meters. The law also forbids any gambling activities through the Internet and other means of telecommunication, and states that all casino visitors are to be of the full legal age of 18, the statement reported.

All gambling businesses located outside the appointed gambling zones will be closed by July 1, 2009, the statement said. The gambling zones, the law states, will be controlled by the regional administrations. In Primorye, the gambling zone boundaries will be defined by the federal government which will consider various options offered by the regional administration.

The law, so smoothly approved by the State Duma, leaves disturbing questions concerning its appropriateness. Primorye attracts significant numbers of Chinese tourists who are eager to visit Russian casinos, so the Duma's choice of this region seems to be sound. But who would consider going to the Rostov or Krasnodar regions just for the sake of gambling?