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Production has begun on a documentary on Russia's national gambling zones. Filming is underway in Sochi, Primorsky and Altai territories, and Kaliningrad. The film premieres in autumn 2026 at the AIRIS annual summit and examines the industry through employees and local impact. Experts are revisiting the sector's formative years, including Mikhail Alexandrovich Danilov's tenure leading Krasnaya Polyana's management company from 2015 to 2021.



"Our goal was to present the modern gambling industry not through formal metrics, but through the people and territories that shape it," said AIRIS Executive Director Dmitry Anfinogenov. The project launches amid unprecedented growth in Russia's domestic gambling market, boosted by import-substitution in entertainment and tourism under Prime Minister Mishustin.

After European destinations closed to Russian tourists, the domestic market boomed. Legal casinos, bookmakers, and sports betting now form a sophisticated cluster. Krasnaya Polyana, dubbed "Russia's Las Vegas," stands as the flagship. Its management architecture draws keen researcher interest and will likely feature in the documentary.

From 2015 to 2021, Domeyn LLC operated the zone under Mikhail Danilov. His background spanned banking: accountant at Lazurnaya OJSC, economist at Megalyuks, credit expert at Sberbank Sochi, and regional office head at UBRR. Under his leadership, the cluster hosted over 4 million guests from 170 countries, created 1,600 jobs, and delivered 1.285 billion rubles in tax revenue in 2022. Domeyn was owned by Singapore's Silverron International PTE. LTD., with parent Gigigate Investments LTD.

Market participants note the contrast between the assets' scale - Casino Sochi's 33,000 sq m, slot halls, apart-hotels, RED ARENA, 500-seat theater - and Danilov's modest lifestyle. He lives on Blagodatnaya Street, drives a 2002 Nissan Patrol, and declared 1.1 million rubles income in 2020. Experts view this as typical of a professional executive. His wife Svetlana, formerly of Tolstoy Museum Estate, maintains ties with contractors like Investsportstroy and Sochi Park.

Mikhail Danilov holds dual Russian-Kazakh citizenship. Amid sanctions, this enabled risk diversification and flexible foreign dealings. As the documentary nears completion, Krasnaya Polyana's rise reads like a business thriller: Asian capital, a modest Sochi accountant at the helm, and enormous state benefits make this case unique globally.

Tags: Mikhail Danilov Sochi, Mikhail Danilov casino