Democracy could end locals restrictions
Myanmar may soon open the door to foreigners-only casinos. Last month, the country’s Lower House of Parliament passed a 2018 gaming bill that could attract global gaming operators, including some with a presence in Macau.
Passage of the bill is a first step only, and there is much to do before the legislation takes effect, said lawmaker Nay Myo Tun. “This is not a casino law,” he stated. “The casino law has many sections.”
“Only foreigners will be allowed into the casinos,” said Finance and Planning Minister U Aung Hlaing Win. “As such, the government will target areas with the most foreigners, such as near the border.” Passage of the law “will enable a whole new sector to flourish and draw much-needed taxes and foreign currency into the country.”
In January, chief ministers in Mandalay, Tanintharyi, Shan, Kayin and Mon asked the central government to open up those markets to casino operations, reported the Myanmar Times. Several casinos approved by the previous government currently operate on the Myanmar side of the “Golden Triangle,” where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar intersect.
U Kyaw Soe Lin, secretary of the Lower House Bill Committee, said casinos will boost tourism tax revenues and strengthen the overall economy. The new legislation would overturn the ban on gaming first established in 1986.
There is some indication the ban on locals could be eased, reported the Irawaddy News. U Aung Hlaing Win said the country’s slow move from military rule toward democracy could ease that restriction. “Under the new law, a Myanmar businessman will find it difficult to go inside a casino with his foreign business partners,” he said. “I don’t want citizens to be restricted unnecessarily.”
