The government of Russia will not be spending public funds to develop the country's four new gambling zones.

"We are not going to pump state funds into this business," said President Dmitry Medvedev. "But we would welcome private investors if there are such."

That was one of the main messages on gaming delivered by Medvedev while answering questions on a variety of topics posed by television journalists during a year-end review on government policy held in late December.

The other point stressed by Medvedev was that the total ban on casino gaming outside of these special zones will remain in force.

When the questioner mentioned the popular view that gaming had merely gone underground or morphed into poker clubs and lotteries, Medvedev disagreed.

"I think that is an exaggeration," he said. "We have, to a significant degree, cut off oxygen to this business which previously used to operate along different lines."

The president said that these other forms of gaming that have sprung up due to loopholes in the law will eventually be shut down as well.

"In essence, it implies the same kind of gambling for money but only under different names. Such clubs must simply be shut down," said Medvedev, adding, "I will give an order to go through the legal system to exclude these opportunities."

Another subject for scrutiny will be online gaming, which Medvedev said "is as illegal as instant lotteries."

The president plans to go through the legislation carefully and come up with amendments to close all the loopholes.

"Will that be enough?" Medvedev asked rhetorically. "We shall see. If they invent anything else, we'll shut this business down and punish those who are engaged in it once again."

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.