Taiwan considers placing bet on casinos

16.08.2007, Lesen Sie hier den Bericht über «Taiwan considers placing bet on casinos».

Taiwan is considering placing a hefty bet on casinos, an official said on Wednesday, hoping a little bit of luck enjoyed by nearby Macau and Singapore will rub off on its tourism trade.

Taiwan's plans come after Macau overtook the Las Vegas Strip in gaming revenue last year for first time and Singapore's inroads into the casino sector helped boost its property market.

"We are soliciting opinions within the state planning commission and after we've come to some consensus, we will also discuss the plan with other ministries," a senior planning official told Reuters.

If the cabinet gives the go-ahead, the proposal would still need to be approved by parliament, where it could face stiff opposition.

In the 1990s, Taiwan considered building a casino on the offshore island of Penghu, but that plan was axed due to opposition from legislators and some residents who were worried about the negative social impact.

In its latest plan, Taiwan plans to issue licences for casino operators to be built on Penghu, and in Chiayi and Pingtung counties in Taiwan's south, according to media reports. "We will give priority to the weaker economic areas for the licences," the official said, declining to provide details.

Analysts said Taiwan needed to find new drivers to boost weak domestic consumption and economic growth, saying that diversifying into other sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals to gambling would help.

Über Glücksspiele in Macau - Gambling in Macao:

Macau (englisch Macao) liegt rund 50 Kilometer westlich von Hongkong und ist das Glücksspiel-Paradies in Asien.

Macau hat rund 40 Spielcasinos. Die grössten Casinos sind The Venetian Macao, MGM Macao, Wynn Macao, Galaxy StarWorld, City of Dreams, Sands Macao, Casino Lisboa.

Neben den riesigen und farbenfrohen Casinobuildings ist eines der Wahrzeichen der Macau Tower (Fernsehturm mit 338 Meter) mit atemberaubenden Ausblicken auf die Stadt.

Macau erstreckt sich über eine Fläche von 115.3 km2 und hat rund 620'000 Einwohner.

--- Ende Artikel / Pressemitteilung Taiwan considers placing bet on casinos ---


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