Next vote at least year away
Despite recent failed referendums on casino gaming in the islands of Taiwan, Bill Bryson of Global Market Advisors tells CalvinAyre.com the jurisdiction could still be a viable gaming destination in the Asia-Pacific.
The residents of Penghu twice rejected casino proposals twice after Taiwan’s national government approved the Offshore Island Development Act in 2009. Last October, 90 percent of voters on Kinmen Island said no to a casino plan. And in 2012, though a referendum passed in the Metsu island group, nothing happened. When no investment groups came courting, the idea foundered.
“These referendums can only be held every three years, so we’re waiting at least until 2019 or 2020 before it comes up again,” Bryson said. “I think the real setback is the percentage” of voter turnout.
He also cited politics as a cause, and noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping has made it clear that he doesn’t want casinos in Matsu and Kinmen. Xi’s opposition could make the Taiwanese government extra-cautious.
“If you want Matsu and Kinmen to have gaming, you have to change the paradigm,” Bryson said. “You have to say, ‘What if we do the infrastructure development in order to get people to come in from Taiwan and then let’s build the airport so that we can bring people from Japan and Korea.’ So if you change the business plan, Matsu and Kinmen become relevant again.”
Except for a sports lottery, Bryson doesn’t expect other opportunities in online gambling in Taiwan. “The government here has always taken the position that online gambling is illegal. That’s their enforcement posture. They’ve cracked down on it before, and they’ll crack down on the users. Currently, I don’t see a big expansion other than through the sports lottery,” he said.
Last year, Calvin Shueh of Skill Gaming told CalvinAyre.com that Taiwan is now positioning itself as a global destination for poker and eSports.
“The current landscape primarily goes around poker. Poker’s very big here. I’ve helped launch the poker scene here. We see Taiwanese players doing well overseas, winning tournaments not just in Asia but also across the world,” Shueh said.
Shueh added that the Taiwanese have taken to both eSports and poker as national pastimes. “On eSports, the Taipei Assassins won the World Championships in 2012, the Taiwan government declared that eSports is an official sport. In 2020, the Asian Games will have eSports as a medal. So things here are changing and growing a lot,” he said.
Many tech-oriented companies have a footprint in Taiwan. “A lot of companies launched here. Blizzard launched its first eStadium in Taiwan. Acer, ASUS—all of these are businesses in Taiwan. Razer is launching a gaming smartphone that will be based in Taiwan. There’s a lot coming in the future.”
