From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 14, no. 3, July 1999.

A proposal to set up a casino at Royal International Airport Inn-still under construction-has brought objections from church and community members in Tonga who are opposed to gambling.

The protests come a year after a Bill was rushed through parliament to allow gambling. The Royal International Airport Inn lodged an application in 1995 to operate a casino. A Bill for the establishment of a casino was presented to the Tongan parliament last year and was passed with a vote of 9-1 after its first reading. It was presented together with three other Bills three days before the House was closed in 1998, and there was no time for a second and a third reading.

The Royal International Airport Inn, which has been under construction since April 1992 is expected to be completed before the New Year.

‘Etuini Mo‘ungaloa, the Tongan representative of Dr Wong, the owner of the hotel, said that 28 Thai construction workers were working at the site, and more workers would be arriving to complete the 164-room hotel by Christmas.

‘Etuini was not worried about public reaction against the casino.

“The reaction is out of proportion, because our application to government was for a casino to be used by foreign passport holders only, and a Bill has been drafted to safeguard the interest of the Tongan people. Later on we may allow in Tongans, but our application clearly stated foreign passport holders only,” he said.