Tim is a journalist, author, and columnist with two decades of experience writing for outlets like the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He is an expert on regulation, business, and industry and is fluent...
Read Full BioRussia’s four legal gambling zones say they expect to host 100,000 guests in May this year, as the nation gears up for an extended period of public holidays.
Russians celebrate a period of public holidays collectively known as the May Holidays, which include Labor Day, Victory Day, and several others. This year, two blocks of consecutive public holidays are separated by just three working days.
As such, some companies have given their staff these days off, while other workers are expected to use their annual leave allocations to give them a total of 11 days of vacation.
Russia’s Legal Gambling Zones Gear Up for Bumper May Break
The newspaper Kommersant reported that Russian legal gambling zones have responded by preparing expanded programs for the holiday period this year.
Some casino operators expect a 10% rise in footfall compared to 2024’s figures, when they welcomed just over 95,800 guests.
The newspaper noted that the Association of Entertainment and Event Tourism Operators’ combined attendance forecast places figures for this year above the 100,000 mark.
The association is an industry body comprising all legal casino operators in the four zones.
The Sobranie casino in Kaliningrad’s Yantarnaya zone is expecting about 20,000 guests, a 25% increase from last year’s numbers.
The casino says it will host a major international poker tournament in early May and several entertainment events.
The Altai Palace, in Altai Krai’s Siberian Coin gambling zone, expects a 10% rise in visitor numbers this year. It said the addition of more non-gambling facilities, such as heated outdoor swimming pools, was likely to attract more guests.
Will Poker Tournaments and Non-Gambling Events Draw More Visitors?
Meanwhile, the Krasnaya Polyana complex in Sochi said it expects to match its 2024 visitor figures of around 35,000 guests.
The casino in the popular southern resort city said it would largely focus on non-gambling activities during the 2025 May Holidays.
Krasnaya Polyana suggested it was offering a range of gastronomic dining events, pop concerts, and themed festivals, hoping to expand its appeal beyond its traditional “core” of gambling enthusiasts.
The fourth zone, in Krasnodar Krai, also hopes to match or beat its 2024 visitor numbers.
Several of the zones’ casinos are planning major upgrades in 2025 and beyond. The Yantarnaya zone is planning a 22.6 billion ruble ($274 million) expansion into the nearby village of Kulikovo.
The Altai Palace wants to build two new hotels, ski slopes, and other facilities as part of an upgrade it hopes to complete by the end of 2027.
