The first casino in one of Russia’s designated gambling zones has opened, seven months after the government forced gaming facilities elsewhere to close.

Royal Time Company opened the doors of Casino Oracle in Azov City, on the Azov Sea coast, last Saturday. The 1,500sq.m property features over 200 slot machines and 10 gambling tables, as well as a restaurant and bar. An 11-room hotel is to be opened later this year, with a 233-room hotel planned for 2017.

Although the operator is planning to offer free transport from the cities of Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don, the distances involved and the apparent lack of interest from other investors has raised concern that the gambling zones will struggle to attract visitors.