DPP lawmakers Yeh Yi-jin (
"The amendment is scheduled for its second reading and it's quite possible that it could become law before the [current legislative] session ends on Jan. 18," Yeh said.
"If it becomes law, investigators will have great difficulty cracking down on video games involved in gambling and it concerns us that more and more people, especially teenagers, will then begin to indulge in gambling."
The law, which took effect on Feb. 3, 2000, outlaws video-game parlors. The amendment is designed to legalize the parlors while continuing to ban only video games that involve gambling.
Chang said the scandal involved lawmakers from different parties but that it was inappropriate for her to name them at this stage, "because we still need their support to pass other bills before the end of the session."
She said that any liberalization of the law would invite unlawful gambling.
"These colleagues of mine accepted sums ranging from between NT$500,000 and NT$3 million from the parlor owners. That's why they expedited the review process and are trying to pass the amendment before Jan. 18," she said.
KMT lawmaker Hsu Shu-po (
"The bottom line for this law is to eliminate any form of video game involving gambling," Hsu said. "As a result, there won't be a problem in regard to gambling. Also, under the amendment, once a player spends more than NT$1,000, he or she will be entitled to a gift worth NT$200 from the parlor.
"I think they have greatly misunderstood. Plus, by my estimation, if the amendment is passed, 1,000 job opportunities will be created nationwide. Of course we should endorse a bill like this."
DPP lawmaker Cho Jung-tai (
"They have not provided a list of the lawmakers they are accusing -- nor details of how much money was involved," Cho said. "That being so, they should not have made the accusations in public."
PFP lawmaker Chou Hsi-wei (
"As a PFP legislator," he said, "I must follow the party's policy and that's why I did not vote in favor. But people in the business called me to complain ... But I will do the right thing despite the threats and pressure that I'm suffering."
Video-game parlors abound in Taiwan despite the law and are widely suspected of regularly bribing officials to prevent their closure.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS