Moscow (RIA Novosti) - Moscow's budget will not be severely affected by the closures of casinos and other gambling establishments, the Russian capital's deputy mayor said on Wednesday. Under a 2007 law passed under then-president Vladimir Putin, gambling is to be moved from large cities to designated far-flung regions. Casinos in the capital and other cities are to disappear completely by July.

More than 1,000 casinos have been closed down in Moscow in the past 18 months under a law passed last year to move gambling from large cities to far-flung regions, a Moscow government official said on Friday. Under the law designed to curb Russians’ growing addiction to gambling, approved by parliament and signed by then-president Vladimir Putin, casinos in the capital and other cities are to disappear completely by next July.

Storm International, the country's largest casino company, will open gambling venues in Costa Rica and Armenia this year and may abandon its home market because of restrictions, chief executive Michael Boettcher said. President Vladimir Putin is forcing casinos out of Moscow and St. Petersburg to reduce gambling, exiling them to four regions outside the two biggest cities.

On June 7 & 8 the third professional international exhibition of gaming and entertainment equipment “World of Games 2007” took place at Crocus Expo, Moscow. The exhibition organiser was the Russian Association “World of Games”. The list of exhibitors included 56 companies, which had a wide product range of specific gaming and entertainment products, such as gaming machines, casino equipment, accessories, terminals etc.