A deadline of 11 February has been set for the casino industry in Nepal to pay the state what it owes in overdue revenue, estimated to be around US$3 million. The entire casino industry (8 casinos in Kathmandu and 2 in Pokhara) faces the threat of closure if payment is not forthcoming and there is still more bad news from the authorities. Lawmakers now are saying that the eight casinos in Kathmandu’s 5-star hotels must relocate outside the capital city and the four mini casinos in smaller hotels must close. The mini casinos started operations just last year.

The crackdown on casinos has become more stringent over the past few months. Police have raided several casinos and arrested Nepali gamblers and gaming operators as citizens are banned from playing. Gambling debts have recently been blamed for cases of extortion and even murder. Yesterday Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee told the government to order the relocation of the casinos outside Kathmandu. It is believed that the Home and Finance Ministries are pushing for the expulsion of casinos from the country’s capital.

The eight hotels where casinos are presently operating in Kathmandu include Hotel Radisson, Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Hotel Shangri-la, and Hotel Hyatt. If the threat to close casino operations in Kathmandu is carried out it will be difficult for operators to attract foreign players to venues where the infrastructure and facilities lag behind those offered by the capital city. The casino industry in Nepal, the oldest in South Asia, already is suffering from the economic downturn. (E-02.03.11)

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