Print

Mail

wiki links

Economic officials mull lifting casino ban

Officials are studying the possibility of ending the ban on casinos to boost the tourism industry, a move countries such as Singapore have already taken to exploit the boom in Chinese travel overseas, a Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) spokeswoman said yesterday.

The council is evaluating the impact that lifting the ban would have, giving special consideration to issues of morality and family values, she said.

"Casino licensing is just one of the government's options to raise tourism revenue," she added.

"We are employing a prudent approach to study whether and how the licensing would help achieve the goal of boosting tourism. No decision has been made," she said.

The council is scheduled to release a report on the study in the second half of this year.

In 2005, tourism revenue in Taiwan totaled US$10.96 billion, barely changed from 2004, accounting for 3.17 percent of the nation's GDP. The figures for last year will be released in July or August.

The spokeswoman said that casino liberalization was a complicated issue, especially in a society in which gambling is deprecated, but lottery sales are permitted for welfare purposes.

Chu Yen-min (朱晏民), head of research at KGI Securities, said he supported the establishment of casino operations in the country.

"Casinos in neighboring countries, such as Macau, Singapore and South Korea, are attracting many foreign visitors. I think casinos will help the local tourism industry," Chu said.

Macau has come to rival Las Vegas as one of the world's largest gambling centers, with gaming revenue soaring 22 percent to US$7 billion last year.

"The local tourism sector wants to accommodate more visitors from China. Casinos will certainly become a big attraction once the Taiwanese government allows more Chinese tourists to visit the island," Chu said.
This story has been viewed 2025 times.