Onion Domes and Casinos

I read an article in yesterday's edition of the New York Times which addressed the issue of casinos and gambling in and around Moscow, Russia. Apparently they're having a real problem with it. Amongst the many onion domed Orthodox Churches that surround the city, a growing number of its population is becoming addicted, more than ever, to gambling.

I did some further digging on this growing problem by logging on to ITAR-TASS information site. According to TASS "The Moscow Duma ( lower chamber of Russian parliament) has adopted a legal act banning all gambling outlets from apartment buildings, bus and railway stations, airports, and from 100-meter exclusion areas around educational establishments." 1*

This blogger did not know that Russian's gambled, or even had slots and casinos in Russia!

According to Moscow's Serbisky PsychiatryInstitute:

2 million Russian's gamble each year.

330,000 Russian's are considered "compulsive" gamblers.

compulsive gambling leads to alcoholism.2*

*1 source: http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/prnt.html?NEWSID=1094667

*2 source: http://www.postcronicle.com/news/original/article_21246291.shtml