Russia bans all gambling and shuts casinos

[Dinner]

Who cares? Vodka is a Russian brand as champagne is a French brand.

That is hotly contested among Poles,. Lithuanians, Swedes, and Russians. There is no doubt that the Tsarss standardized it but the origin and so true home of it is disputed. It was some where in eastern Europe but there are lots of claims made.

Not really, considering that vodka is a mixture of water and spirit. In Russian water is "voda".
Besides the modern standard for vodka (40% alcohol) is invention of the the great Russian chemist Dmitry Mendeleev (who invented the periodic table of elements too, but first he experimented with vodka, of course). And it was the Russian tsarist government monopoly on vodka that made it a real standard (which is still a standard now). The first people who figured out how to make spirit and mix it with water were Arabs, not Russians, Poles or Swedes. The credit for invention of destilation process goes to them. But vodka is our brand.

It can't even be said that Arabs invented distillation because Armenians, Copts, and Christians in the former crusader kingdoms all make equal claims. It is a hard case to prove with so many claimants. I have to admit that modern vodka is associated with Russia though even if it didn't originate there.

[Serb]

IT IS!!!

[Serb]

What is the word for water in Swedish?

[Serb]

The knowledge of the ancient times was preserved by Arabs, nobody but them could invent distillation. They were "number one in science!!!" back then.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I meant special areas for gambling.

Err... all of those are special areas for gambling.

[Serb]

The places for gambling should be few. Gambling is a part of entertainment industry. The trip to those special places should be valuable experience of your lifetime. Those places must be something special. That adds them an aditional value. That makes them something special.
Gambling must be FUN, not an ADDICTION.

[Serb]

actually it could work. I'm almost inclined to side with Serb. But the goverment should have helped them set up shop in the new locations.

In fact the government plans to invest nearly 3 billion USD into Azov-City alone (one of the four such zones) until 2010. The gas pipelines, roads, electricity and the rest of the infrastructure has been already build there by the government (not the private investors, they haven't paid a penny for that). And the first casino "Royal Time" will be oppened this year. The private investors had over two years (not just a year, as I thought earlier) to start the construction on the new sites.

So, I repeat - what is the problem with that decision (to move gambling activity into the special zones)?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Gambling should be whatever the people who frequent those establishments want them to be.

[duke o' york]

Whatever, or wherever? Because although a cheeky punt on the geegees is fine with me, cock/dog-fighting isn't.

Damn, it won't let me name the type of bird used for combat in Alex Haley's Roots because it can be used as a rude word.

[Dis]

The places for gambling should be few. Gambling is a part of entertainment industry. The trip to those special places should be valuable experience of your lifetime. Those places must be something special. That adds them an aditional value. That makes them something special.
Gambling must be FUN, not an ADDICTION.

I agree, so come to Vegas. And make sure you visit the place where I work.

[duke o' york]

Burger King?

Or are you a tiger for Horn and Siegfreid?