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All in! Siberia’s first casino opens, complete with golden sinks

By 0 and 0 and 0
08 November 2014

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Introduction of 'gambling tourism' to the region? Picture: Anna Zaikova

Siberia has opened its first ever casino in a 1billion rouble venture that will create hundreds of jobs and see the introduction of ‘gambler tourism’ to the region. The Siberian Coin, which is part of the new Altai Palace Hotel Resort opening in April next year, launched last week with 16 gaming tables and 20 machines.

It is the brainchild of Roman Spodyrev, a space instrumentation engineer from Moscow, who has plans to run charter flights to fly in the wealthy from around Siberia. And whilst it is hardly Las Vegas, the new casino has many luxurious touches, including expensive wool carpets from Italy and sinks painted with a dusting of real gold.

The Siberian Coin also has some more interesting features, such as special soundproof phone booths in which guests can choose a fake background sound like an airport or traffic. That, according to its owner, will give customers 'an alibi' whilst gambling inside.

Mr Spodyrev said: ‘We expect that guests will come here from Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Kemerovo, Novokuznetsk, and so on, but it’s from Krasnoyarsk and Omsk that we will attract people in the first place. Initially, we will organize charter flights on aircraft for 45 people. We have conducted negotiations on this issue with the airlines and they are interested.

‘According to the law we cannot advertise the casino in the territories that are interesting for us. But we intend to develop weekend tours with tour companies’.

Ambitious new 1billion rouble venture could see advent of ‘gambler tourism’ in Russia as visitors fly in to Altai resort 


Ambitious new 1billion rouble venture could see advent of ‘gambler tourism’ in Russia as visitors fly in to Altai resort


Ambitious new 1billion rouble venture could see advent of ‘gambler tourism’ in Russia as visitors fly in to Altai resort


Ambitious new 1billion rouble venture could see advent of ‘gambler tourism’ in Russia as visitors fly in to Altai resort


Ambitious new 1billion rouble venture could see advent of ‘gambler tourism’ in Russia as visitors fly in to Altai resort

Mr Spodyrev said he is optimistic the casino resort will be a success. Pictures: Anna Zaikova

It has taken four years for the dream of building a casino among the Altai Mountains to become a reality. When it opened last week, only the ground floor, featuring a VIP area, was operational but more of the complex will be available in December. The first floor will feature a large gaming room – with a capacity for 500 guests - with low-cost slot machines where the minimum bet is just one rouble, a coffee shop, and two small banks.

A pawnshop and 70 seat restaurant will be located on the second floor, with the hotel taking up the entire top floor.

Initially 75 staff will work in the casino but when the whole complex opens next year this number will increase to 230 people, serving 30 gaming tables. The workers come from different cities with the croupier, for instance, from Chelyabinsk.

Ambitious new 1billion rouble venture could see advent of ‘gambler tourism’ in Russia as visitors fly in to Altai resort


Ambitious new 1billion rouble venture could see advent of ‘gambler tourism’ in Russia as visitors fly in to Altai resort


Ambitious new 1billion rouble venture could see advent of ‘gambler tourism’ in Russia as visitors fly in to Altai resort

Siberia has opened its first ever casino in a 1billion rouble venture. Pictures: Anna Zaikova

Mr Spodyrev said no expense was spared in ensuring the venture is popular with visitors.

He said: ‘My favourite VIP room is the one that is decorated with wood. Our designers have insisted on more bright colours than were used in two other halls, with gold and silver. The sinks in luxury rooms have a dusting of real gold, while the carpet on which you walk is very expensive - it is from Italy, it is natural wool.

‘The tables, chairs and all of the gambling equipment, such as the chips, are all made in Russia, by a company in the Moscow region. The roulette wheel was created in a Russian aircraft factory, with the technology used in aircraft engines’.

Mr Spodyrev said he is optimistic the casino resort will be a success, particularly given that it is the first of its kind in Siberia.

Rooms at the hotel start at 2,000 rouble-a-night ($42) and 80,000 roubles ($1,700) for a luxury suite.

LAS VEGAS v SIBERIA

Las Vegas

Number of Casinos: 1,701

Number of tourists: 37.9million

Weather: It's a desert, so mainly dry and sunny, with highs of 41C in summer

Population: 607,000

Interesting fact: Major Hollywood movies including Ocean's 11 were filmed here

Most Likely to Meet: Elvis impersonators

Siberia 

Number of Casinos: 1

Number of tourists, years 2008-2013: 863,4

Weather: Can be chilly at times with the coldest city on earth

Population: 40 million

Interesting fact: It's said to be home to the mythical Yeti

Most Likely to Meet: we are waiting for an invitation to discover!

Comments (8)

Enjoy with new event !!

baccarat
phallyka, cambodia
09/05/2017 17:08
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I actually opened the first Western style casino in Siberia way back in 1993. It was called Casino London Sibir and was located in the Hotel Sibir in Novosibirsk. I have great memories of my time there.
Royston Kymberly, London
23/03/2015 14:39
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In number of tourists in Siberia, it should say "863,4 thousand"
Enrique, Spain
04/12/2014 09:08
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What a prime location and maintain beautifully. I am glad to see this well furnished and maintained hotel. It looks cool. I would like to visit it soon. I hope it will prove nice hotel to stay there especially for travelers. After reading this blog and seeing these images I would love to visit it at least once. In fact I will try to go there after going with los angeles grand canyon bus tours.
jack james, USA
03/12/2014 11:15
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Perhaps that is why it will succeed being nowhere among nature....that is how Manaus started in the Amazon. The forbidden sin and nature, like the early paradise...
Enrique, Spain
25/11/2014 11:58
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It is a 3 hour drive, heading south from Barnaul to the Altai Mountains, in the midst of nowhere! It is near Biryuzovaya Katun, watch out Google Earth and you find the street map from Barnaul via Bisk to aforementioned place. Have fun. And money. You'll need it. But there is a pawnshop there as well! And boring games, too.
Hans, Switzerland
16/11/2014 23:25
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It is necessary a map in Siberian Times to show exactly where the Casino is, how to reach there and what natural tourist areas can be visited (natural parks, for example)
Enrique, Spain
12/11/2014 01:57
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It should be combined with tourism to natonal parks in Altai, the same way Las Vegas is combined to visits to national parks in the área. On the m

idterm Urumqi (Xinjiang, China) will be a source of tourists as important as Krasnoyarsk.
,
09/11/2014 08:17
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