According to the Costa Rican newspaper Al Día, the president of the Russian company Storm International, Michael Boettcher, has sent a letter to the Government outlining the credentials of his company and indicating his interest in investing in the Central American country. He comments that the company has been operating in Russia for 16 years and that it has only the best intentions for investing in Costa Rica. Effectively, Costa Rica is one of a number of countries where Storm International has plans to invest over the next five years because of next year’s closure of casinos in the principal Russian cities.

The company is constructing a hotel in Sochi, Russia, where the Winter Olympics will be held in 2014, and is intending to open a hotel casino in Armenia, where last September the Storm Group took over the largest Yerevan casino and intends to develop a large entertainment centre. In Costa Rica Storm and local partners are completing the renovation of a 4-star hotel with a US$5 million investment, and hope to open a casino there by July.

At the time of the January London Shows, Michael Boettcher was given an award for Outstanding Contribution to the Gaming Industry at the prestigious International Gaming Awards ceremony. Lisa Barrett, Gaming Awards coordinator, said, “Mr. Boettcher has placed the Russian gaming industry on the international map. His enormous contributions to the Russian gaming industry and the implementation of his socially responsible programme have truly made his contribution outstanding.”

Acting independently, Storm was the first company in Russia to set up the Responsible Gaming Programme, which is at companies’ own expense. An independent help centre has been financed and, together with the help of the internationally accepted organization GamCare, based in the UK, and the Russian entity NAN, is now prominently advertised in all the holding company’s properties and provides literature to help both the addicted and their families. Storm was also the first gaming company in Russia to enforce a 21 years old entry policy, even though Russian law allows gambling at 18.

In an interview with Russian newspaper Mir Novoster, Michael Boettcher commented that he was ready to give up half his business by recommending the closure of all slots halls because he does not want to urge people to gamble. “It is not only dealing with gambling addiction but also informing the society on pluses and minuses, risks and benefits, working with the staff for them to be able to recognize gambling addicts at earlier stages. It is a regular tendency for civilized countries.” In this field alone Storm International could be a valuable asset to Latin America and influence the development of responsible gaming policies. (E-03.03.08)

© Copyright 2008 CasinoCompendium



>>> return to archives
>>> return to frontpage