‘No separate street for gambling’

Deputy Finance Minister Geethanjana Gunawardena, told Parliament yesterday, that the government had no plans to declare a separate street and area for casino playing tourists and locals.

He said that provisions of the recently passed Casino and Gambling Act 2010, would be applicable from January 2012.

So far none of these casinos have been registered under the new Act, he said. The government had collected Rs 1,580.4 million as tax revenue from 810 casinos in the country during the past five years, Parliament was told yesterday.The Deputy Minister responding to a question raised by UNP Kurunegala District MP Dayasiri Jayasekera, said that these casinos were currently registered under local government bodies.

Asked to inform the House of an annual breakdown of the total sum, the Deputy Minister said that tax revenue stood at Rs 196.4 million, in 2006, Rs 282 million in 2007, Rs 268 million in 2008, Rs 270 million in 2009, Rs 269 million in 2010 and Rs 295 million. These casinos had functioned under the provisions of the Gaming and Betting Act of 1988, the Deputy Minister said.