Eighty per cent of Chinese first-time international tourists visit a casino, and 90% of Chinese visitors to the US visit Las Vegas,” he said.īut Paul Barker, executive director of the independent thinktank the Institute of National Affairs, said that Papua New Guinea did not have the welfare or legal infrastructure to deal with the problems that often accompany gambling. “China’s growing middle class is forecast to account for a quarter of all international tourism by 2030. He also argued that the casino, which will include a hotel, shopping malls and cinemas, would attract tourists, arguing that only one-third of visits to PNG were currently tourism related. George Hallit, Paga Hill’s chief operating officer, defended the plans, saying the casino would create thousands of jobs directly and indirectly.
“The global experience with casinos suggests an increased likelihood of money laundering and undue political influence where the regulator is weak or is compromised,” he added.
