After Kazakhstan effectively banned casinos in the country, restricting the gambling industry to two resort spots on Kapchagai lake near Almaty and Burabai lake near Astana, a great number of commercial real estate was suddenly released in all cities of the republic, and most of all, surely, in Almaty. After a couple of minor, few in number protests, organized by the industry kingpins, cards, craps and roulettes vanished from the city landscape on the Fool’s Day, April 1, 2007.

The ban, introduced together with the prohibition on import of right-hand cars, was initiated personally by the president and was perceived mostly positively by the people. Indeed, last year there were casinos in almost every block in town, and gambling machines were even in grocery shops, making the “zombified” young men and even pensioners spend their monies in pursuit of luck. Online-casinos were also banished. The exception was made only for bookmaker offices.

The only person I met of those, who was missing casinos, was a taxi driver. “Earlier there were people both during the day and at night”, he said, taking me home from a night club. “Now it’s like a desert after midnight – no casinos, no clients for me”.

However, business is business, and it can’t stand still without earning money. Even in Almaty, where real estate prices are incredibly booming, having put the Kazakhstan’s “Southern capital” on the 30th place in the ranking of the world’s most expensive cities, letting the premises just stay without making business on them is an unacceptable dissipation. Most of the casino owners did not get rid of the highly valuable property and leased it, or started new businesses.

There are several pretty easily observable trends of what emerged in place of casinos in Almaty. Some of smaller game-rooms were substituted with low-cost fast-food cafes with Turkish kebab, or giros. Larger ones were reborn as poshy coffee-shops or lounge-bars. Many became home for boutiques selling clothes. Others now host offices and hairdressing salons.

The funniest option was chosen by an Egypt-styled casino, which did not change anything from the inside or outside, now claiming to be an Egyptian restaurant under the same name, working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – like a casino. By the way, the largest casinos are still empty – nothing seems to be as profitable as casino to afford such huge premises in the downtown.

Several more enterprising industry people undertook more adventurous steps. One of the casinos was reequipped to become a place for lotto-fiends. Another big player in gambling business, a Kazakh-American joint venture, was quick to open a casino in Bishkek, a capital of Kyrgyzstan, which is several hours of drive from Almaty, and now offers tours to this new venue.