Taiwan government minister has hinted the authorities there might back gaming near the capital, permitting Taipei casinos. But it’s not clear whether such a venue or venues would be for foreigners only. Previously the official government policy has been to develop casinos open to all, but only in outlying island chains to discourage Taiwanese from gambling to excess.
According to a Taiwan news report, Ye Kuang-shih, Taiwan’s Transportation Minister, said in the island’s Legislative Yuan on Monday that a special economic zone already set up at Taoyuan International Airport on the southwest outskirts of Taipei might be more “practical” and more “feasible” for casino gaming.
The report said Mr Ye also referred to the fact that any casinos placed on outlying island chains – two of them, Matsu and Kinmen (also known as Jinmen) are very close to the mainland Chinese coastal province of Fujian – would probably be dependent on mainland customers. The idea of using Taipei is not yet government policy but contained instead in an alternative bill for casino legalisation proposed by some legislators of the governing Kuomintang party said the Taiwan news report.
A regional precedent for a gaming resort next to an international air hub can be found at Resorts World Manila, in the Philippines, across the road from the capital’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The resort generated US$468.9 million (3.75 billion patacas) in total revenues in the first half this year, a 31 percent rise on the same period in 2012. Casino industry research house Union Gaming Group issued a note from its Macau office on the latest twist in Taiwan’s bid to join East and Southeast Asia’s casino legalization bandwagon.
Grant Govertsen of Union Gaming wrote: “While this Taipei area gaming proposal is short on details we believe its genesis stems from certain comments made by multiple mainland Chinese officials charged with Taiwan-related issues – and echoed by Taiwan’s Transportation Minister – that the PRC does not intend to let its citizens visit any casino(s) that might be developed in Taiwan, such as on the outlying islands like Matsu.”
