Taiwan to hold referendum for Penghu casino in October

The wait will soon be over for Taiwan’s next attraction—a casino.

On October 15, residents in the country’s outlying island of Penghu will have to decide on whether they will allow casinos in their hometown, Taiwanese media reported. Results of the referendum will be announced before October 22, according to Chinese-language Taiwanese news outlets.

This will be the second time that Penghu residents is asked to vote on the casino issue. The country held its first referendum on gaming in September 2009, after the government lifted the prohibition on gambling on the islands of Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu. However, a total of 17,369 votes or about 56.44 percent of the total valid ballots were cast against a plan to build a casino on Penghu Island.

The country’s Referendum Act forbids groups to raise the same proposal within three years after it was thrown out.