The election of Taiwan’s new president, Tsai Ing-Wen of the the nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, is, according to Union Gaming, a negative for gambling prospects in the country.
Foreign investors will find the decision to develop an integrated resort in Taiwan to be unpalatable, the Union Gaming report says, for both political and economic (demand) reasons. Taiwan’s new President Tsai has previously gone on record as being anti-gaming, and also instructed DPP legislators back in 2009 to vote against a bill to allow gaming referendums.
In terms of demand, in May 2015 “mainland authorities ruled out the possibility of its citizens being allowed to gamble in Taiwan” at a time when talks of casino development in Matsu was heating up. Union Gaming believes with the new ruling party seen as “more independent” than the previous pro-China party, there is even less of a chance of this decision being reversed.
In the best case scenario, that IR development receives the go ahead, Union Gaming suspects gaming is “at least five years away when considering the need for implementing legislation, the RFP process and the construction process. Further, we would not expect more than one or two IRs to be developed."
Source: Asia Gaming Brief
