Israel and Jordan are both considering allowing casinos to boost tourism and government revenues.
In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu announced he was setting up a steering committee headed by Tourism Minister Yariv Levin to explore the possibility of casinos in the southern resort city of Eilat, to save the city “from economic failure and create thousands of jobs.” While Eilat’s tourism industry has shrunk by 40% in the last five years, illegal gambling in Israel is thought to be a US$280 to US$380 million industry. Netanyahu reportedly favors casinos that would be open to foreign tourists only, while the Tourism Ministry favors admitting Israeli citizens too. Ultra-Orthodox parliamentary factions, such as Jewish Home, Shas and United Torah Judaism, say they will oppose the plan.
Rejecting claims that he had a personal interest in the push, Netanyahu said Sheldon Adelson did not intend to bid for a project in Eilat. The billionaire, who is a big supporter of Netanyahu, attempted to open a casino in Israel during the 1990s but was repeatedly thwarted by tourism ministers.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s vice-prime minister Abu al-Ragheb said his government was considering lifting the country’s ban on casino gambling to issue licenses for the port of Aqaba on the Red Sea or other tourist destinations. In a speech to the Amman Chamber of Industry, he cited difficult economic conditions facing Jordan, which has been deluged by refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war. I
n 2003 and 2007 the Jordanian government gave the go-ahead for casinos in locations including Aqaba and the coast of the Dead Sea. Both times, however, protests by religious conservatives halted the projects.
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