Date
Author
Георгий АНДРОНОВ; Itoday Ru; -- Специально Для «Времени Новостей
Source
Preserved copy
Translated material
Online casinos
Owners of slot machine halls switched to new technology
In Mozdok, a city with a population of just over 42 thousand people, over the past six months, Internet cafes have appeared in place of establishments with slot machines inside. This did not happen because local residents have no other way to access the Internet. The point is different: gambling halls continue to operate under a new sign and using new technologies.On January 1, 2007, the law “On state regulation of activities related to the organization and conduct of gambling and on amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation” came into force. After this, the owners of slot machine halls had to close their establishments. But it was they who accounted for the entire gambling business in the province: opening a full-fledged casino in a city with a population of 40 thousand people is unprofitable.
The owners of the gaming halls were not at a loss. “Internet clubs have appeared in the place where gambling halls previously operated,” says one of the local residents. “It’s understandable: no one is going to give up the most profitable business in the province.”
The work of such an Internet club (read: gaming hall) is outwardly no different from an ordinary Internet cafe. With one important exception: here visitors not only give, but sometimes also receive money. Computers represent the entrance to an online casino where you can play roulette or a slot machine. Bets are accepted in cash by a representative of the establishment, and in case of winning, he pays the money.
“To turn an online club into a gambling hall, it is enough to install special programs on computers for operating online casinos and enter into an agreement with any payment system that will ensure transactions between us and the owners of the virtual casino. Such a “mixed” type establishment brings in much more income, rather than just an Internet cafe,” says one of the owners of the establishments, who wished to remain anonymous.
Meanwhile, such business is illegal. “The situation with online clubs that are engaged in the gambling business is very simple. It does not matter what status the establishment has, because in essence it is a casino and therefore must operate in accordance with the law regulating the activities of gaming establishments in the Russian Federation,” - says lawyer Yuri Zlobin, president of the Russian Shield association.
The law excludes ambiguous interpretation. Article 5, paragraph 3 of the federal law “On state regulation of activities for the organization and conduct of gambling and on amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation” states: “Activities for the organization and conduct of gambling using information and telecommunication networks, including “The Internet,” as well as means of communication, including mobile communications, is prohibited.”
According to Mr. Zlobin, the unimpeded operation of “Internet clubs” is explained by the insufficient training of local law enforcement officers.
However, isolated cases of suppressing the illegal activities of new types of gambling establishments do occur. Thus, in February last year in the city of Vladikavkaz, employees of the department for combating economic crimes seized computers, proceeds and constituent documents from one of the clubs precisely for the illegal organization of a gambling establishment.
Prepared jointly with iToday.ru