Asian Casinos
Asian Casinos
Taiwan Lawmakers have given the go-ahead for Taiwan to build its first Taiwan casino in a move that could have repercussions for Macau as a gaming hub.
Taiwan’s parliament has approved a bill legalizing gambling on offshore islands, clearing the way for the development of a Taiwan casino resort on the economically depressed Penghu archipelago in the Taiwan Strait.
However, a Macau university assistant professor claims the effects of the move will be minimal because the development is unlikely to lure gamblers from Hong Kong and the mainland. The legalization of gambling has long been talked about in Taiwan but failed to get enough support in parliament until President Ma Ying-jeou’s Kuomintang swept to victory in the last election.
More than 70 percent of Taiwan’s parliament supported the bill. The Taiwan government insists the move will not lead to an increase in crime but will help boost tourism. “We want to stimulate the development of the offshore islands, particularly tourism,” Kuomintang legislator Chang Sho-wen said.
Some members of parliament had argued that legalization would bring social problems. They also feared the building of hotels in the area would damage the environment. The Penghu archipelago is relatively remote and currently lacks facilities.
Taiwan’s move comes a day after vice president Xi Jinping completed a two-day visit to Macau during which he advised the territory not to rely solely on the gaming industry and to diversify. Taiwan ranks third behind the mainland and Hong Kong in numbers of visitors it sends to Macau.
Camoes Tam Chi-keung, an assistant professor at Macau Inter-University Institute, said the effects on Macau would be limited. “A Taiwan casino in Taiwan may only be able to attract local customers and not those from the mainland and Hong Kong,” Tam said. He added the service industry in Taiwan was of a lesser standard to that of Hong Kong and Macau. Unlike Macau, which hires many Hong Kong people from the service and construction industries, Tam believed Taiwan would only want to create job opportunities for locals.
The move is the latest expansion of gaming in Asia. South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines have Taiwan casinos and the first of two Taiwan casino resorts is slated to open on Singapore’s Sentosa Island later this year.
Filed under: TAIWAN CASINO
