According to the Hraparak newspaper, Armenian oligarchs and officials have mini-casinos in their summer houses.  “A narrow circle of players use those private casinos, trespassers are off limits. The gamblers make large bets, so the losses and gains are also considerably large,” - says the newspaper.

“However, after the exposure and arrest of Armenian criminals led by Armen Kazarian in the U.S., the Armenian authorities decided that these casinos are not safe. The gambling houses could be exposed and used for blackmail by the U.S. and Russian special services. Therefore, the Armenian National Security Service was ordered to “find and destroy” these dens which could be a real problem for the authorities”- the paper concludes.