Israel Looking To Casino Gambling To Help Tourism
Gambling is coming, people of Israel. That is the message that is being sent by Tourism Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch. After going through eternity so far with no casinos in the country, things are about to change.
Israel has opened its arms to the idea of casino gambling. Tourism is hurting, and the way for that to turn around is through casinos, according to Aharonovitch. "...Another important goal is promoting tourism in Eilat, which is losing tourists to neighboring cities like Aqaba, Taba, and Sharm el-Sheikh, which have casinos," said Aharonovitch.
The country has recently finished a deal for Israel's first legal casino by allotting twelve acres of land in Eilat for the project. Along with the casino, other tourism shops and commercial trading centers will be built in the area.
"A casino in Eilat is one of our main objectives for 2008 and its success will lead to the establishment of additional casinos throughout the country," said Aharonovitch.
The country is currently fighting illegal gambling. It is believed that over $3.6 billion a year is being gambled illegally. Aharonovitch, a former police officer, believes that legalizing casino gambling will help stop the illegal stuff, "As a former law enforcement official, I can tell those who oppose the idea that a casino would downsize the extent of the illegal gambling operations in Israel as well as the related criminal activities," he said.
