Tigre de Cristal — casino in Primorye (Artyom, near Vladivostok)

Tigre de Cristal ("Crystal Tiger") opened in October 2015 and became the first casino of the Primorye integrated entertainment zone outside Vladivostok, near the town of Artyom. The project was originally conceived as a gateway for wealthy players from China, Korea and Japan: the Chinese border is only a few hours away, and baccarat and high stakes are held in high regard here. The complex was initially developed by Summit Ascent under the management of Macau tycoon Lawrence Ho, with control later passing to the junket group Suncity. At the time of its opening, Tigre de Cristal was described as the largest casino in Russia. Inside are spacious halls in Asian luxury style, VIP rooms for high rollers, restaurants and a 121-room hotel. The uniqueness of the place lies in its geopolitics: it is an outpost of "Russian Macau" in the Far East, betting on the transit flow of Asian tourists. For the region, the casino became a driver of tourism that repaid the state's investment in the zone's infrastructure.