MK Gilad Erdan (Likud) is formulating a private bill to establish a legal casino in Israel. Erdan told "Globes" this morning that the bill was in the initial stages of preparation, and he was currently studying the subject.
Materials for proposed legislation were given to Erdan by the Ministry of Finance, from files that accumulated during its previous handling of the matter, including those of the 1908s inter-ministerial committee that recommended the legal operation of a casino through Mifal Hapayis - Israel National Lottery.
Erdan believes the bill will be placed before the Knesset plenum within two to three months. He said he was acting on his own initiative, without any official government backing.
Erdan intends to propose that the casino be state-run, at least in its first years. "I believe that there is no avoiding the legal establishment of this institution in Israel. It is preferable that Israeli gamblers, who today travel in droves to Europe, instead keep the big money here, estimated at NIS 10-12 billion annually, or that the state at least collect the taxes that it deserves," he said.
The last attempt at establishing a legally-operated casino was made under the last Knesset, by MK Yossi Katz (Labor), but the idea was buried by a negative opinion handed down by Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein. During the previous (14th) Knesset, the idea was promoted by then-MK Avraham Yechezkel (Labor) but was thwarted by the religious - haredi (ultra-Orthodox) bloc.
Erdan is a lawyer by profession, and Likud Youth chairman. This is his first term as a Member of Knesset.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on 23 March 2003