Premier Liu Chao-shiuan said at a regular Cabinet meeting last week that before the government can outline plans to build casinos on the outlying islands, it will first have to decriminalize gambling on the islands. No decision was made on the controversial issue of construction of offshore casinos, as Liu said only that "in principle, one of the major efforts in the development of the outlying islands is the construction of the tourism industry."

Taipei, Taiwan -- Premier Liu Chao-shiuan called yesterday for legalizing casino gambling on Taiwan's offshore islands, in what some considered to be the first concrete step towards building gambling facilities on islands outside the Taiwan proper. Liu made the remarks while attending the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday. During the meeting, Hu Chung-ying, vice chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD)...

In Ireland, the Justice Minister has revealed that he will loosen the nation’s gambling laws by legalizing casinos and creating a new regulatory authority for all forms of gaming. According to a piece from the Irish Independent newspaper, Dermot Ahern stated that existing laws on gambling were “past their sell-by date” but promised to reach cross-party agreement and consult with the public before making any changes.

Online betting is banned in the City of Buenos Aires, because the Contraventional Code of the City punishes illegal gaming and its coverage, but the Mayor of the City, Mauricio Macri, analyzes to modify the law and call to a tender process to operate the business. In Argentina there is a legal void, because there isn’t a law on the matter and is just regulated by regional laws.

Trenton, New Jersey (AP) -- A New Jersey senator is vowing to fight a federal law that limits legalized sports gambling. Sen. Raymond Lesniak said Monday that he's asked Gov. Jon S. Corzine to file suit declaring the federal law an interstate commerce violation. The federal statute limits legalized sports betting to Delaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon. If Corzine doesn't take action, Lesniak -- a Union County Democrat who heads a major law firm -- said he'll file a lawsuit himself.

Bangkok (TNA) -- Slightly more than half of the total respondents in a poll conducted by Assumption University’s ABAC Poll disagreed with the Thai government’s plan to legalize casinos in the kingdom with the aim of attracting more foreign tourists and generating additional revenue to offset the administration’s budget deficit. The survey was conducted on 2,726 people in 18 provinces nationwide and found 56.4 per cent of respondents opposed the idea...

Congressman George Miller, Chairman of the House Democratic Policy Committee has become the latest congressman to sign up to Republican Barney Frank’s Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, a bill that was introduced last year to create an exemption to the current ban on online gambling for properly licensed operators. Congressman Miller is a member of the Democratic Leadership and chairman of the House Democratic Policy Committee...

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has backed the idea of legalising casinos in the country in a move which immediately drew criticism from opponents, who fear legalised gambling will lead to greater social problems. The controversial question of legalised casinos was asked by a member of the public, who phoned in to Samak’s weekly programme which is televised across the country on Channel 11 and also on a network of state radios.

The tide of public opinion regarding casino gambling is changing. Now, more Jamaicans want the Government to legalise gambling of outlawed casino games, such as roulette and blackjack, than those who are against the controversial amusement. In comparison to a similar survey conducted in 2006, the latest Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson poll, conducted on January 12 and 13, 2008...

Sports gambling could be the answer for casinos in Atlantic City. The question would be how to help revenue in the city’s casino. Legislators have once again started discussions to legalize sports gambling in Atlantic City. The discussions have taken place several times in the past, but never has legislation been passed. With the struggles the country is having with the economy, legalizing gambling on sports in Atlantic City casinos would be a sufficient way to raise revenue.

China may legalise gambling on horse races for the first time since the Communist Party took power in 1949, the official Xinhua news agency said. The government in Beijing has approved the start of regular horse racing in the central city of Wuhan, and is considering the introduction of betting on those races on a trial basis next year, Xinhua reported. The experiment is seen as heralding the return of nationwide betting on horses in China, Xinhua said.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party plans to propose legislation to legalize casinos in Japan under strict supervision, Jiji Press learned this week. Under the lawmaker-initiated bill, an LDP panel on casinos plans to call for the establishment of an independent watchdog with strong investigative authority in order to prevent crimes. Inspectors of the envisioned organization would be empowered to screen casino business license applications from the private sector, conduct on-site inspections of casino operators, etc.