The plan to move casinos from Moscow and St. Petersburg to remote, specially designated zones by July 2009 appears not to be making much progress.
Michael Boettcher, president of casino operator Storm International, said the government is starting to talk about pushing back the July 1 deadlineùmaybe by as much as three years.
One huge problem is still the absence of basic infrastructure in the regionsùalthough a spokesman for the Rostov region economics ministry believes power lines and a major road will be in place next spring.
Supporters of the plan, who point to the desert location of Las Vegas, seem to ignore the fact it took decades of steady development to create that modern gaming center.
