Lichtenstein Residents Destroy Anti-Casino Vote

Lichtenstein is a gorgeous old-world city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Nestled at the foot of the Swabian Alps, it is a popular tourist attraction for well-to-do folks looking to enjoy skiing in the winter and panoramic trail hiking in the summer.

The region is also well known for being of the wealthiest countries in the world, with a 2020 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $6.11 billion. Its meagre corporate tax has made it a financial haven for banking and large businesses, which, paired with a population of fewer than 40,000 residents, gives it one of the world's highest GDP per capita ratings.

Las Vegas of the Alps

Lichtenstein Municipal vote in favour of local casinos While the country is known for its insane wealth, beautiful vistas, and historic architecture, what is less well-known is that locals call it the Las Vegas of the Alps. The nickname is thanks to the fact that a country measuring a tenth of the landmass of Great Britain has no less than six full-blown casinos.

Before 2017, Lichtenstein was a gambling-free zone. All that changed once the amended local gambling laws made it legal to own and operate a casino offering games of chance and skill-based games for real money.

Since then, the region has seen an influx of gambling fans from Switzerland, Austria, Germany and beyond cross its borders to enjoy its array of slots, blackjack games, roulette games and poker tables.

Fighting the Good Fight

Lobbyists looking to use gambling reform as a platform called for a vote to ban all forms of gambling in the country to "protect the national image" and push back the "casino flood".

The residents of Lichtenstein did not share the same position as these politicians, with the proposed bill being utterly demolished at the polls. According to the results posted by the Principality of Liechtenstein, every one of the eleven voting districts voted against the bill by an overwhelming majority.

Out of 20,000 potential votes, more than 14,500 were recorded. The final tally shows 73.3% of the votes against banning casinos in Lichtenstein and only 26.7% in support of the proposal.