The parliament of Dagestan has passed a bill banning gambling. The bill was
passed in line with the federal law dated December 29, 2006 on state
regulation of organizing gambling. As of July 1, 2007 it prohibits gambling
in the territory of Dagestan. In March 2005, the imams of Makhachkala urged
the owners of saunas, nightclubs, casinos and gambling arcades to close down
or remodel their institutions and threatened to notify the local
authorities, the media and relatives about what they were doing. In October
2005, the Popular Assembly of Dagestan passed a local bill on the operation
of gambling institutions imposing severe restrictions on gambling.