Plan to Build a Casino in Taormina is Definitely Dropped
Every once in a while, talks about reopening the casino in Taormina, a small resort town on the Eastern coast of Sicily, resume. However, the Italian minister of internal affairs Giuliano Amato, has finally put an end to the reopening of the casino in Taormina saying that such a facility could be an easy target for money laundering.Taormina has been a very popular destination with tourists since the 19th century. It has beautiful beaches (accessible via funicular) by the Ionian Sea. Economic experts and tour operators are convinced that reopening the casino could be an excellent drive for tourism in the region. Even the minister admits that a casino can increase travel arrivals.
A fascist law of the ’30s prohibits gambling in Italy, “not for ethical reasons, but for the danger of possible disturbances in the public order”. However, there are 4 authorized casinos operating in Italy: San Remo, Champion, Venice and Saint Vincent.
I understand that local criminality can use the casino for its one evil purpose, but this attitude of the government seems extremely passive and detrimental to Sicily. Who is supposed to guard against criminality if not the government? Instead, the answer from the government to the Sicilian people is lame: we will not to do anything because mafia could take over.
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