Liu lumps gaming with prostitution, drug dealing
The Chinese holiday island of Hainan, tapped by Beijing to become a free-trade zone by 2020, should not bring in gaming as part of its push to become an international tourist destination.
So says Liu Cigui, secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, who welcomes tourism and technology businesses, but adds that the territory should steer clear of “prostitution, gaming and drug dealing.”
A declaration from Beijing issued in April indicates the central government wants Hainan to be a “mature” free-trade zone by 2035. The plan did not mention casino gaming, but did include the possibility of horse racing and an expansion of regulated lotteries, reported GGRAsia. Hainan currently offers the official welfare lottery and sports lottery found elsewhere in Mainland China.
Liu said the introduction of gaming to Hainan could bring social ills that would “spoil” the development of the island and will not be “tolerated” by the local government.
Starting this month, China began offering visa-free access to single tourists as well as tours from 59 countries arriving in Hainan Province. Individual tourists must organize their trips through government-sanctioned travel agencies. Previously, visa-free access was available only to package tours arriving from 26 countries.
A party reform group headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly considering allowing online gaming and sports betting in Hainan, a first step to legal casinos. PRC President Xi Jinping has said the Communist Party’s Central Committee believes Hainan will play a key role in China’s opening up to the world and advancing economic globalization.
“Hainan has extremely high hopes,” said Liu Feng, a researcher at Hainan Normal University’s Maritime Silk Road Research Institute. “Designating the island as a tax-free zone, or even just increasing the number of duty-free shopping locations, will inject vitality into Hainan’s tourism development.”
