Voters in Liechtenstein on Sunday roundly rejected a proposed ban on casinos in a referendum that has polarized the tiny principality and its 40,000 voters.
With six casinos dotted around the nation this is concerning the measurement of town of Brussels — or 1/eighth the dimensions of Rome — the microstate has change into referred to as the “Las Vegas of the Alps” amongst gamblers.
Pro-ban arguments on problems like playing dependancy and possible harm to the rich country’s popularity had been, on the other hand, resoundingly swept apart since 73% of those that voted rejected the ban and 27% subsidized it, with a turnout of 70%, in line with the respectable depend printed on-line.
The referendum, and the signatures had to cause it, had been led to through the drive team IG Volksmeinung, shaped to battle the “casino flood”.
They argue that the fledgling business dangers tarnishing a countrywide symbol that the state has labored exhausting to fix. The nation used to be on a global blacklist of tax havens till it all started easing financial institution secrecy regulations greater than a decade in the past.
Prior to the vote, the rustic’s prince spoke out in opposition to the ban, as did the federal government, which stated the playing business is the most important supply of source of revenue and argued {that a} ban used to be too drastic a measure to deal with issues like playing dependancy.
