Betting in Minsk
A landlocked country in Eastern Europe, Minsk is the biggest city and capital of Belarus. It is located on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers. Minsk has a population of approximately two million citizens and has a major industrial presence within Belarus, contributing to almost half of the Belarusian domestic budget.
It is not known exactly when Minsk was founded - however, early historical records appear around the 9th century. Evidence from the 11th century indicates that it was a provincial city under the principality of Polotsk. Minsk then joined the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and benefited from gaining town entitlements in the late 1400’s. The area became the capital of the Minsk Voivodship in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569. Minsk was annexed in 1793, and the city operated as part of the Russian Empire. Then, in 1919, the Revolution led to it becoming the capital of the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union. Finally, independence was gained in 1991.
Today, Minsk has nine districts and is Belarus’s only city to have an underground Metro System. In the 1980’s, the city created Minsk International Airport and a central railway station.
The majority of authorised gambling facilities within the country are located in the centre of Minsk, of which the Juravinca Princess Casino is perhaps the biggest. It is located next to the Juravinca Hotel and allows for 24/7 wagering. The casino features gaming machines and games tables for poker, blackjack and roulette.
Many of the city’s independently-owned gambling venues are associated with hotels. For example, the Casino Yubileinoye is hosted within the Hotel Yubileiny offering games machines and table games. The Casino Victoria is located within the Victoria Hotel and features round-the-clock gambling opportunities with gaming machines and games tables. The Casino Tornado inside the Hotel Planeta also has gaming machines and tables.
Another large gambling hall is the Club-Casino Belaya Vezha. The venue offers over 50 gaming machines and 17 games tables, along with bars and a restaurant. The Dankoff Club houses nearly 30 gaming machines, a dozen or so gaming tables including a Billiards table, a bar, disco and restaurant. Likewise the Shangri-La Casino offers a similar amount of gaming machines and tables on a 24/7 basis.
Horse racing enthusiasts can wager at the XO Casino Club Minsk horse racing track. The turf race track was founded in 2011 and provides Novomatic games machines and table games. There is also a poker club hosting games such as 5-Card Stud, 7-Card Stud, Omaha and Texas Hold’em to name just a few.
