Palestinians see casino as oasis of hope in desert of uncertainty
By DEBORAH HORAN,
JERICHO:
West Bank -- Rising like a mirage in the desert, the Oasis Casino, with its shimmering lights and glittery gaming tables, is the Palestinians' $50 million gamble. Palestinians are betting that its gilded roulette wheels and sleek slot machines, which open today to the public, can turn a profit amid political uncertainty. If they are right, they will win big. The cash-strapped Palestine Authority, the government set up under Yasser
Arafat's rule, expects to earn millions in tax revenues from a venture that will cater mainly to Israelis. It will bar Palestinians because of an anti-gambling law designed to keep residents out of the casino. But the ifs are big in this volatile region. Only last week, the Israelis, who control most of the West Bank, shut off access to Palestinian areas following the killing of two Hamas fugitives by Israeli soldiers. The resulting loss of
income for Palestinian workers barred from crossing into Israel has cost the Palestinian government an estimated $5 million a day. Oasis' managing company, Casinos Austria, which owns 30 percent of the casino's shares, ignores these sporadic problems. "If you try to depend on something (like the border closings) never happening, you might never open," said Alexander Tucek, the director general of Oasis. "You can't do business like this."
"And all the profits said..."
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
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