Despite positive comments from Isle of Man incorporated Amazing Holdings and some members of the Taiwanese government, there will be no casinos for the outlying islands in the immediate future. Today it has been announced that a vote by lawmakers on the casino question has come in with 57 in favour but 84 against, with 8 abstentions.

Just last August it seemed that the government was planning to issue three casino licences, and Amazing Holdings expressed optimism that casino legislation would be in place by the end of the first quarter of 2008. The company’s optimism has been proved wrong before – in November 2005 it was sure that casino licensing was imminent and it would receive the first permit.

Headed by Nevada gambling tycoon Larry Woolf, Amazing Holdings has been developing a casino resort project for Penghu since 1998. In September it was reported that construction of the US$50 million resort should commence in the New Year with completion scheduled for the end of 2009. Work on the hotel may go ahead but, at the time of the announcement, Amazing was expecting to obtain a casino licence within six months.

Penghu residents have already voted in favour of casinos and local officials claim that central government pay insufficient heed to the economic needs of the remote outlying islands. The government has said that legal and moral issues must be taken into account and gaming regulations should be in place before casinos are licensed. Feasibility studies continue, as does canvassing of public opinion. (E-12.20.07)

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