Young Balinese Entrepreneur Defends Proposal For Bali Tourist Casino

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Over the last week, conservation around the idea of creating a tourist casino in North Bali has been hot.

With gambling in all forms illegal across Indonesia, the prospect of opening a casino in the island’s poorest regency has been met with a mixed set of responses from politicians, local community leaders, tourism businesses, communities, and tourists themselves. 

A young Balinese entrepreneur who is backing the project has defended the idea in a press interview.

The Chairman of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) of Bali Province, Agung Bagus Pratiksa Linggih, who has been on one of the teams tabling the idea, says that the development could help fund solutions to Bali’s most pressing infrastructural issues, such as waste management and traffic congestion, which affect both local communities and tourists. 

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Linggih has acknowledged that there is a void In Bali’s Regional Original Income, known as PAD. He and his team feel that the development of a casino as a tourist and entertainment venue in Buleleng Regency could help generate much-needed funds to level up the province’s infrastructure and prosperity. 

Linggih told reporters, “The potential income for PAD that could be received by Bali can reach IDR 12-13 trillion per year. That’s it; we haven’t talked about the gambling side yet, hotels, restaurants, the economy around casinos, and tax taxes from employees who work in casinos, of course.”

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He stated that the casino would have to be of international standard and marketed towards high-wealth, luxury-loving tourists.

Linggih added, “It must be of international standard to invite quality foreign tourists to Bali. So if possible, the world’s top brands will enter Bali.” 

When asked whether the introduction of a casino would impact Balinese culture or even be available for local Balinese community members to visit, Linggih responded, “In fact, if there is a need for local people to play in casinos, but yes, [it would be] only for foreign tourists.”

“If that’s what the Balinese people are afraid of, you can’t allow Balinese people to play; like in Malaysia, the people can’t play in the casino.”

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“So, I think the name is Balinese customs; actually, the effect is very minimal. For example, the people are not allowed to play and are in the poorest area in Bali; I think there is an economic distribution, and there is a new tourism area and adding PAD.”

However grand Linggih’s plans have become, he and his teams will have to convince the nation that changing the law to permit gambling in this specific circumstance is a viable compromise on deeply held cultural and political values.

The Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economies, Sandiaga Uno, has shared his feelings on the idea. 

Speaking to the press, Minister Uno outrightly denied any plan to build a casino. However tentative, the idea is at this stage. He told reporters, “There is no such thing as plans for building a casino. So just say straight away that there is no such plan.”

The Deputy Tourism Minister, Bali-born Nia Nascaya, told reporters that the law is the law and there will be no changes in Indonesia’s zero-tolerance approach to gambling.

She said, “Casino gambling is definitely not because legally it is also clearly prohibited; this is what differentiates us from our two neighboring countries.”

“We don’t make excuses as to why they are bigger in terms of foreign tourist visits because [casinos] are one of the attractions.  While in Indonesia, it is something that is legally prohibited, and we are a country of laws, so that can’t be done.”

Bali’s Head of Tourism, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, has also spoken to the media about the proposed ideas. He was clear that casinos and gambling do not align with cultural or sustainable tourism, which is Bali’s main objective. With this in mind, he will not give his backing to the casino idea.