Eilat mayor seeks legislation to allow casino

Eilat mayor Meir Yitzhak-Halevy: Establishing a casino and an international convention center in Eilat will substantially boost tourism.

Eilat mayor Meir Yitzhak-Halevy today asked Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to either begin preparing regulations or enact legislation authorizing the establishment of a gambling casino in Eilat.

Yitzhak-Halevy said that under current law, a casino could be authorized through either a new bill, an amendment in the current law, or regulations by the Minister of Finance.

In a letter to Netanyahu, Yitzhak-Halevy wrote that he was writing in the wake of the Eilat city council’s decision to promote a casino that would include a center for fairs, conventions, and exhibitions.

Yitzhak-Halevy claimed that major economic players in Eilat, the Israel Hotel Association, and independent business owners were supporting his request.

Yitzhak-Halevy said a casino was a key issue for economic progress in the town and its environs. He commented, “Approval on an individual and controlled basis, together with a suitable social mechanism and strict law enforcement, can minimize the risks in the operation of gambling houses. An orderly granting of permits and franchises will gain hundreds of millions of shekels to finance education and welfare, and promote tourism.”

Yitzhak-Halevy noted that the advantages of establishing a casino in Eilat had been considered in a study, and in plans prepared over the years by a number of entities, including the Ministry of Tourism, Mifal Hapayis Israel National Lottery, the Eilat municipality, and others.

”It was found that establishing a casino and international convention center in Eilat would significantly boost tourism. Building a casin will prevent the transfer of tourism and commerce to the Sinai coast and Aqaba, where vacation sites with casinos are being built,” Yitzhak-Halevy said.

Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on July 5, 2004

Twitter Facebook Linkedin RSS Newsletters גלובס Israel Business Conference 2018