Following a nine-year ban, officials in Xi'an, Shaanxi in China have agreed to allow the operation of electronic games in the area, meaning registered capital in the area could increase by at least CNY4m.
The ban, first put into place in 2000 in the Shaanxi province, saw the closure of all illegal electronic game arcades and stopped the approval of new establishments.
However, according to InterGame sources, a number of illegal operations have since opened up under other forms such as e-game centres and animation parks. These establishments were finally shut down in February of this year.
Following a three-month long investigation it was decided to standardise electronic recreation and allow Chinese-foreign cooperative enterprises to access the industry, as long as the Chinese company leads the management or has at least a 51 per cent share.
