Burma could legalise land-based casinos

Three years after Burma, also called Myanmar, has escaped the military dictatorship that lasted for 50 years, the country in South-East Asia plans to open its market for land-based casinos.
The government is currently working on a new bill that would allow hotels to receive a license to set up a room dedicated to gambling on their premises.

Boosting the tourism industry

This desire to legalise gambling in brick and mortar casinos in the country forms part of a strategy to attract a new type of tourists that are interested in gambling.
The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has been working to draft a bill since last year, that would lift the ban on gambling in the country, and that would allow some hotels to open casinos on their premises.

A country that becomes more and more attractive

Located between India, China and Thailand, Burma sees its tourism sector soar since the collapse of the dictatorship in 2011.
Since then, the country gradually transformed into a popular tourist destination.
In 2013, the country attracted nearly two million visitors, who came mainly from Thailand.
This figure is expected to reach 7.5 million in 2020 in case land-based casinos are being legalised in the country.
This project is part of a national plan for tourism development.
Some analysts say that the government should prohibit access to casinos for Burmese citizens in order to protect them.
The casinos are intended mainly for Chinese, Indian, Thai and Japanese tourists.
Besides the development of tourism, it is also important to note that the country should generate a lot of money through tax revenues.
Additionally, the casinos would also create many jobs.

Establishing a regulatory framework

Burma currently already has several establishments dedicated to gambling.
However, these are not regulated and therefore operate outside the law.
This is another reason why the government is working on the new law.
They want to establish a regulatory framework to fight against corruption and illegal gambling.

An interesting location for casino operators

If the government chooses to legalise casinos in its territory and it starts to issue gambling licenses, Burma could become an interesting destination for operators due to its privileged location.
In fact, the country is located near India, China, Thailand and Japan.
It has more than two internationally renowned cities: Rangoon in the south and Mandalay in the north.