Taipei could legalize casinos

What this means for the islands in the Taiwan Strait where casinos appear to be headed is not certain.

“Given this dynamic, any casino built in Taiwan would therefore largely be dependent on locals, which means that only a casino built near population centers, such as Taipei, would make sense—and only if locals are allowed to gamble,” stated the Macau-based investment brokerage, which added that Transportation Minister Yeh Kuang Shih has suggested to the national legislature that casinos be permitted in a special economic zone near Taoyuan Airport in the capital city.emerged as a possibility in the wake of statements out of China that mainland residents will not be permitted to visit any gambling venues that might be developed in the country, which Beijing considers a renegade province.

The guiding legislation, the Offshore Islands Development Act, was passed in 2009 to allow residents of the Matsu, Kinmen and Penghu archipelagos to vote on casinos. Last summer, the residents of Matsu, a tiny island chain located just off the mainland province of Fujian, voted in favor, initiating a process by which the Legislative Yuan, as the national lawmaking body is known, was empowered to develop a framework for licensing and regulation.
Terry Gou, head of Foxconn Technology Group and one of Taiwan’s wealthiest citizens, suggested earlier this year that a special casino enclave be developed near the capital. Premier Jiang Yi Huah described the proposal at the time as “problematic”.