SFD: gambling business asks to stay in cities till 2012

The Gamblers' Association of the Southern Federal District (SFD) of Russia asks to postpone the deadline for closing their gambling facilities located outside particular areas from July 1, 2009, till the end of 2012 under the motive that the so-called "Azov-City" is not ready yet.

The open letter on behalf of the Association to the Russian President Plenipotentiary Representative for the SFD, Governors and Parliaments of the Rostov Region and Krasnodar Territory, where the gambling zone of "Azov-City" is created, was signed by more than two thousand employees of the gambling entities located in these two regions.

"As of today, the infrastructure of the gambling zone 'Azov-City' has not been built. Its acceleration looks unfeasible because of the global financial crisis and possible deficiency of regional budgets. Thus, by July 1, 2009, the gambling zone will still look like a fallow field," runs the letter as quoted by the "Kommersant" newspaper.

In the Krasnodar Territory, similar moods dominate the gaming businessmen. The Krasnodar-based correspondent of Radio Liberty reports that "professionals of the Krasnodar gambling business speak with irony about prospects of their fast resettlement to 'Azov-City'. The hall of slot machines in the central street of Krasnodar has no plans to close up."

The administration of "Azov-City" finds the fear of the authors of the letter groundless and assures that the gambling zone will start working according to the schedule, as the "Interfax" writes.