Russian President, judo enthusiast and humanitarian, Vladamir Putin, has just approved a ‘gambling zone’ in Crimea, which was annexed from Ukraine in March.

Parliamentarians in Russia have argued that this new provision will attract investment and encourage tourism to the region (though presumably not by plane).

Gambling? It’s not a Crime-a!

The Russian government is eager to ensure that images like these don’t predominate in the public consciousness when it comes to Crimea. Good luck to them.

The annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March (which Putin himself has described as “virtually bloodless”) has led to pro-Russian separatists to violently clash with the new government in Kiev.

The introduction of a gambling zone in Crimea comes amidst efforts to quell understandable concerns about Crimea’s future as a tourist honeypot.

Other measures to preserve Crimean tourism have included holiday promotions for state companies, who have been encouraged to treat workers with vacations to the peninsular. Russia has also pledged visa-free travel to Chinese tourists.

Three other gambling zones have been established in Kaliningrad, the Far East and Siberia.