Astana – Administration of the town of Kapchagai in the suburbs of Almaty is preparing to conduct a poll on the issue of constructing a „Kazakh Vegas“ in the neighborhood, as a REGNUM correspondent was told by an official in the administration. The idea to build a Kazakh version of Las Vegas, just 100 km away from Almaty, which is Kazakhstan’s financial center, was generated by the country’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The town of Kapchagai, with a scenic reservoir lake in the vicinity, is a favorite holiday resort of Almaty dwellers. The Kapchagai landscape is reminiscent of the US Nevada State. In case the project is implemented, all the 40 Almaty casinos will be moved into the brand-new „Kazakh Vegas.“ Currently, national authorities are negotiating the issue with potential investors.