ResortX<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe first phase of the development — a RUB$3.5 billion ($45 million) investment — features a gaming floor measuring 56,000 square feet, three restaurants, and a theater. Guests who preregister online are given 2,000 complimentary rubles ($26) in gaming credit.<\/p>\n
Casino Shambhala is just the second casino to open its doors in Russia’s Far East Primorye Economic Zone. Tigre de Cristal opened in October of 2015.<\/strong><\/p>\nIn 2009, Russia President Vladimir Putin banned gambling everywhere in Russia, with four exceptions: Altai, Krasnodar, Kaliningrad, and Primorye Krai. The latter was targeted to become the country’s version of Las Vegas or Macau, but more than a decade later, the region remains largely vacant.<\/p>\n
Russia Hopes for Tourism Hub<\/strong><\/h2>\nTigre de Cristal has struggled since its opening five years ago. Due to Primorye Krai being located in a remote area some 30 miles north of the downtown port city of Vladivostok, customers are scarce.<\/p>\n
Vladivostok is a major port city in Russia near the borders of China and North Korea. It’s known for being a terminus on the Trans-Siberian Railway, which links to the city of Moscow by way of a seven-day journey. Most of the world’s wild Siberian tigers are located in Primorye.<\/p>\n
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Russian officials hope to make the economic zone a tourism and convention hub. Opening a second casino is a start.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Shambhala has a planned second phase, which is set to begin construction in 2022. Once complete, the total investment of the integrated resort will be approximately $104 million. The second phase plans include several hotels, golf courses, and an amusement park.<\/p>\n
Officials behind the complex say it will cater to the masses — not only the high rollers.<\/strong><\/p>\n“We are not going to become a closed club for the elite,” Shambhala developer and owner Maxim Smolentsev Manager told Inside Asian Gaming<\/em>.<\/p>\n“Our casino will be truly popular — a place where people are always in a good mood, where each guest is a part of a large, incessant holiday and can have a pleasant time, regardless of how much they are ready to bet on the game,” he added.<\/p>\n
Future Projects<\/strong><\/h2>\nTigre de Cristal is betting big on a forthcoming boom in Primorye. It’s currently developing its second phase at a cost of $200 million. The expansion will double the number of VIP and mass gaming tables, and bring an additional 120 hotel rooms to the resort.<\/p>\n
Along with Tigre and Shambhala, billionaire Chen Lip Keong remains committed to building a $300 million integrated casino resort. Chen, who made his fortune by obtaining a monopoly on gaming in Cambodia, plans to bring his NagaWorld brand to Russia.<\/strong><\/p>\nCasino.org <\/em>reported in July that a senior official in Primorye said there will be 11 casinos operational by 2023 in the Primorye gaming zone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Russia’s planned version of the Las Vegas Strip will finally open its second resort, the Casino Shambhala. Operations will commence this Friday, Oct. 16. The first phase of the development — a RUB$3.5 billion ($45 million) investment — features a gaming floor measuring 56,000 square feet, three restaurants, and a theater. Guests who preregister online […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":152131,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69069,18],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Russia's Version of Las Vegas Strip Opening Second Casino Resort - Casino.org<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n