Mongolia's Ambivalant Gambling History

There has always been a lot of fuss about gambling in Mongolia. During the rule of the Democratic Party even an MP got jailed over the establishment of a casino. Later a law was passed that only gambling machines were allowed, which under Hungarian patronage resulted in every possible gambling machine being imported into Mongolia adding a lot of blinking lemons and cherries to the streets of Ulaanbaatar. Ultimately it created such a stir with people losing their complete family capital in a day that all game centers were closed down overnight.
Turning away from the electronics, there was some confusion about a horse track, followed by the invention of a free-trade zone near the Chinese border. And now again controversy has arisen over a gambling project planned close to the international Chingis Khaan airport. It has turned pretty much the some old thing with parliamentarians accusing each other of chasing after personal benefit in a recent UB Post article.

The draft faced strong opposition from L.Gundalai, chairperson of the Popular Party, who claimed that it was designed to favor a specific business interest group.
.....

But wait for the punch line:

The draft also authorizes the government to set up a special committee to control the working of casinos and other gambling businesses operating round the clock. Only non-Mongolians will be allowed to visit these gambling centers.
(italics are mine)

I think actually although not having casinos in any given country has its charms, having a limited restricted form might be a good middle way. But why in Chingis name would you not allow your own residents to visit these places? Why would you want to make a place in your country where your own people cant come? I don't think there is no economic benefit that would justify that. But hey, who am I? Probably just a potential client to some.
The final question that comes to mind is: will the ban include those very parliamentarians?

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technorati: mongolia