Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Alexy II, worries from the increased number of gambling addicts in Russia. Patriarch Alexy II spoke on Friday during a service to celebrate his saints day.

In his speech, Patriarch Alexy II said the Orthodox clergy are trying to fight against social illness Russia and other former Soviet Union states suffer from, including problem gambling and other forms of addiction.

Since the early 1990s, Russia saw a massive growth of its casino gambling industry. Statistics show that there are about 800 legal casinos in Russia and about 67,000 slot machines only in Moscow. The gambling industry growth is estimated as 30-40 percent in the last 15 years.