Back in March, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that organizing illegal casinos should be made a crime. In the first six weeks of 2011, 388 illegal casinos were shut down in Moscow alone but the activity of operating an illegal gambling venue was classified as running an unregistered enterprise. On 6 July the Russian Duma approved the President’s draft law, which included jail sentences as well as fines for the now criminal operation of illegal gambling.
Today RIA Novosti reports that a British man has been arrested and charged with running an illegal casino in Moscow. In 2009, the year that all gambling in Russia was made illegal outside four designated zones, Darren Keane was described as CEO of Storm International – a company that had successfully run casinos in Russia before they were closed. Police made the arrest on suspicion that the Shangri La casino had been closed but had re-emerged as an underground operation.
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On 5 October 2009 Keane was celebrating the opening of the X.O. Casino for wealthy punters in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgystan. Storm International also opened Shangri La Casino in Yerevan, Armenia and the Hollywood Entertainment Center in Monterrey, Mexico. Keane now faces up to five years in jail if found guilty of organizing illegal gambling. Moscow police say that some other Storm International staff are also involved but have absconded. (E-07.29.11)
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