Amusement Centers play important touristic role

The government did not close the video poker centers, also known as amusement centers, as planned, however it will be placing new rules for the work of such places allowing them to become authorized by a license. For this matter a committee is formed by Ministers of Tourism, Interior and Finance to draft the rules.               

The number of these centers in Lebanon reached 265, where more than 2 thousand people work. These places get their license from the competent authorities and their owners pay around one million LBP per year for every machine.               

In this context, Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud told LBCI that he raised this issue during the cabinet session, calling for more regulations, openness and control by the finance ministry and those responsible for controlling this kind of games. He called for reorganizing this sector so that it can constitute a financial source for the treasury.                 

Although the comparison may not be acceptable, these video poker centers may have broken the monopoly of Casino Du Liban, to show the importance of casinos in many regions for the tourism sector.