Taichung debates casino-style ‘restaurants’

COVERT GAMBLING OPERATIONS:Councilors questioned the city government’s handling of the establishments, at one of which someone reportedly lost NT$10m

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 29, 2019
By: Tsai Shu-yuan and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Taichung city councilors have demanded that the city government establish a local ordinance to

manage themed restaurants, to which Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) responded by saying that she would instead endeavor to shut down every one of the restaurants that is contravening gambling regulations.

City councilors across party lines broached the subject at a council meeting on Friday, with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taichung City Councilor Lai Chia-wei (賴佳微) showing pictures of the interior of a restaurant featuring dice and cards, as well as a picture of children watching adults clustered around a gambling table.

“The picture demonstrates that even minors are allowed to enter,” Lai said, alleging that as long as children had money, even they could have a seat at the table.

She said that Taichung is rapidly becoming a city of vice and sin, home to an illicit sex trade and gambling.

One can easily find more than 20 casino-themed restaurants on Facebook, many of which only provide an address after a person adds them on the messaging app Line, Lai said.
[FULL  STORY]