With six casinos in one of Europe's smallest countries -- its size is comparable to the city of Brussels -- Liechtenstein has been known among gamblers as "the Las Vegas of the Alps"
ADVERTISEMENTVoters in Liechtenstein on Sunday roundly rejected a proposed ban on casinos in a referendum that has polarized the tiny principality and its 40,000 citizens.
With six casinos dotted across the country that is about the size of the city of Brussels -- or 1/8th the size of Rome -- the microstate has become known as the "Las Vegas of the Alps" among gamblers.
Pro-ban arguments on issues like gambling addiction and potential damage to the wealthy nation's reputation were, however, resoundingly swept aside since 73% of those who voted rejected the ban and 27% backed it, with a turnout of 70%, according to the official count published online.
The referendum, and the signatures needed to trigger it, were brought about by the pressure group IG Volksmeinung, formed to fight the "casino flood".
They argue that the fledgling industry risks tarnishing a national image that the state has worked hard to repair. The country was on an international blacklist of tax havens until it began easing bank secrecy laws more than a decade ago.
Prior to the vote, the country's prince spoke out against the ban, as did the government, which said the gambling industry is an important source of income and argued that a ban was too drastic a measure to address problems like gambling addiction.