Taiwanese Gambling Doesn’t Seem to be Making Much Progress

Posted: February 8, 2010

Updated: October 4, 2017

The gambling industry in Taiwan has been subject to a difficult history, but now seems to be enjoying a certain degree of

The gambling industry in Taiwan has been subject to a difficult history, but now seems to be enjoying a certain degree of popularity. The population’s feelings toward gambling, however, seem to be counterbalancing current Taiwanese gambling law and maintaining a strange balance.

At first, gambling was very legal only to be suddenly condemned and proclaimed illegal for a time frame which spans over most of recent history. At one point, gambling was prohibited to such a degree that police could arrested all who took part in three or more games of mahjong – even if no money changed hands!

In the late 1990’s, the Taiwanese government sent a team of experts and analysts to Las Vegas in order to study gambling operations and their effect on society, particularly crime. After seeing great results the government gradually legalized gambling in order to harvest a new stream of revenue.

A few new casinos have been built in the last few years, but enthusiasm on behalf of citizens is yet far from 100%. In October of 2009, a referendum was held to decide whether or not locals wanted a casino to be built in Taiwan’s Penghu County. The idea was rejected and scrapped.

Taiwanese gambling law dictates that casinos can only be built offshore, on some of the nation’s many small islands. This may be one of the reasons for the lack of enthusiasm towards building casinos as of late. Locals figure that if they have to fly to go to a casino, they might as well venture to Macau, China, for a truly intense gambling experience.

The other option which is open to locals is internet gambling in Taiwan. Laws regarding online gambling are unclear, but there is a sizeable amount of Taiwanese players at internet gambling sites.

The online casinos in Taiwan that are most often visited are actually based elsewhere. These internet casinos are stationed in nation’s where online gambling is explicitly legal. Due to this, the Taiwanese government has no jurisdiction over them.

The recent hiatus in casino development in Taiwan can easily be attributed to these two factors: the ease of access to online casinos and the popularity of China’s Macau region where many gamblers venture.