Las Vegas of the Alps: In Liechtenstein, a casino ban is being voted on.
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Voting in LiechtensteinWill all casinos soon have to close in the “Las Vegas of the Alps”?
The Principality of Liechtenstein currently holds the world record for the highest density of casinos. On Sunday, the people will vote on a ban. Accepted whenever all casinos close within five years.
That’s what it’s about
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A casino ban will be voted on in Liechtenstein on Sunday.
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The Principality of Liechtenstein has the highest density of casinos in the world.
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The casino opponents see the high density of casinos as a possible danger for the principality.
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The major parties, on the other hand, assume that the market WILL regulate itself.
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The ban comes into effect whenever all gambling dens close within the next five years.
“We Liechtensteiners don’t want to be the Las Vegas of the Alps,” says Hansjörg Frick, President of the IG Volksmeinung association from Schaan FL. In 2016, the law was passed which no longer restricts the spread of casinos in the Principality and leaves it to the free market. This means that anyone who meets the given conditions gets a license to open a gambling den. In the coming years, the number should increase to ten casinos.
The miniature state already holds a world record with six casinos and around 39,000 inhabitants. Not even Las Vegas can keep up with this density of casinos. This is a thorn in the side of the IG Volksmeinung association. He calls for a complete exit from the casino business. Accordingly, the coming Sunday will be an important day for the members of the IG. Reason: The people of Liechtenstein vote on a casino ban. If the ban is passed, all casinos will have to close within the next five years. It would also be impossible for online casinos to be based in Liechtenstein from now on.
“The Swiss get the social cases and we get the money”
For the IG Volksmeinung this is the only right step. She sees three central problems in the current situation: “The increasing number of gambling addicts and social cases can become a major annoyance,” says Frick. In addition, the principality has already gambled away its image in the fiduciary sector and this should not cast a bad light on it now.
Frick continues: “It’s also about the relationship with our neighbors.” About 60 percent of the visitors come from Switzerland. “The Swiss then have to take care of the welfare cases and we have the money,” says Frick.
«David vs. Goliath»
Despite everything, Frick considers the chances of a “yes” to the ban initiative to be small. “It’s like David against Goliath, because the two major parties are against it,” said the Liechtensteiner. The casinos are lucrative and advertise well. “Through sponsorship, the casinos finance a large number of clubs in the country,” Frick continues. These points made the casino opponents lose hope of a positive result on Sunday.
But Frick is also important to emphasize: “We have nothing against a casino. It’s too late now to decide on one or two casinos.” This would only lead to injustice. “That’s why the only thing left is a ban,” said the club president.
The market should regulate itself
The Patriotic Union VU, as one of the two largest parties, sees it differently: “This is a massive encroachment on the constitution. In our opinion, no individual sectors should be banned,” says Michael Winkler, Secretary General of VU. The economically liberal party assumes that the market WILL regulate itself over the years. “With the measures already taken, it’s less attractive to get into the business anyway,” says Winkler.
At some point you have to ask yourself what the next thing that will be banned is. “We rely on people’s personal responsibility,” said the Secretary General. In the party executive, the VU had a unanimous result. “Something like that is very rare,” says Winkler. It is to be hoped that the casino initiative will be rejected on Sunday. “Online surveys showed that more than 70 percent are against it, although they are not always representative, they were usually a few percent off the mark,” Winkler continues.
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