Russian actors are being paid to pretend to be impoverished beggars in a government plan to discourage people from gambling.
The beggars are supposed to tell passers-by how they were once rich executives who lost everything after they became addicted to gambling.
The government campaign comes as fears grow that the city could be swamped with gambling addicts following a recent ruling by the Moscow Supreme court that overturned a law that limited casinos to be located outside the city.
According to Moscow officials, the campaign has never been tried before anywhere else. Actors will be selected at a special casting in front of a city council committee.
It is unclear exactly how much the actors will earn but it is probable that they will be given at least the average monthly salary in Russia of $400 for working 5 days a week. Some of them might even be given an instrument, such as a violin or guitar, in order to make the beggars even more "efficient".
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