It was a bleary Wednesday in Russia in 2009, chilly even though it was the middle of summer, as the last casinos shuttered their doors and the showmen trudged out onto the street. Following an antivice decree by Vladimir Putin, casinos across the country were closed, bar none.

Yet as the slot machines ceased their tintinnabulations and the cards vanished as if by a magician’s prestidigitation, new opportunities sparkled on the horizon, far in the East.

Nine years later, Vladivostok has become the go-to hub for casinos in the East, frequented by Russian and Asian thrill-seekers alike. Granted special permissions as a leisure zone, Vladivostok has become the hotspot for casino gambling and is ripe for further growth.

Vladivostok has become “the regional hub for Northeast Asia,” according to Relex Chief Investment Adviser John Bonar. Vladivostok borders China and is a short flight to both Korea and Japan, each under three hours by air.

Vladivostok is special for its “Free Port” designation, which means that visitors can receive visas on arrival and stay for up to eight days unimpeded, making travel into and out of the territory simple and quick. The visa-free city is the biggest in East Russia and is also the terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, cementing its importance in Russian commerce and travel.

The most successful casino today is approximately 20 kilometers from Vladivostok City. It’s owned by a Chinese company. In the basement of the casino is a professional golf simulator. There are currently no professional golf courses in Eastern Russia.

Vladivostok is also home to the Federal University of the Far East and Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service, centering it as an academic capital in the East. Additionally, Vladivostok is the “cryptocurrency capital” of Russia. It is already home to a crypto-advisory and crypto-detective agency (the only of their kind) in Russia, as decreed by Putin. It will also serve as the location for the first Russian-sanctioned cryptocurrency exchange.

With a rare blend of development opportunity and cryptocurrency interest, Vladivostok is the perfect location for Relex’s advances into Russia.

Further information regarding Relex’s foray into Russia and its specific projects in Vladivostok will be forthcoming in future news updates.