Since the new Russian gambling law came into force on 1 July 2007, many gambling establishments have had to close their doors. According to the Union of gaming workers, up to 5,000 people in the Krasnoyarsk Territory have now lost their jobs, many of them students who worked to put themselves through university. Krasnoyarsk Territory in Siberia covers one tenth of Russia, stretching from the Arctic to the Sayan Mountains in the south, and is considered by some scientists to be possibly the cleanest region in the world.

The day after the gambling venues closed a protest was mounted in Krasnoyarsk City against the new law. The demonstrators were demanding the cancellation or amendment of the law to protect their jobs. One slogan pointed out that when legal gaming dies illegal gaming is born. Another said that the casino owners had other businesses but the workers were losing their livelihoods. An estimated 90% of workers at the Krasnoyarsk gambling establishments were young people.

Although the protest was held in Revolution Square outside the buildings of the Krasnoyarsk authorities, no official acknowledgement of the protest was made. However, the Deputy Governor has said that the law is a good one and must be obeyed, remarking that the protest would have been larger if more people other than those employed in the industry had been in favour of the gambling venues. (E-07.03.07)

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