Jericho’s casino may reopen after 21 years
The Oasis Casino in the West Bank, once considered the largest gambling hall in the Middle East, has returned to the fore again amid talks about reopening the venue 21 years after it closed.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — In September 1998, the city of Jericho was in for an unusual event. Only four years after the advent of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Palestinians witnessed the opening of the Oasis Casino, the largest gambling hall in the Middle East at the time.
The casino was inaugurated in partnership with Palestinian figures and Austrian-Israeli businessman Martin Schlaff. The project was the largest investment project in the West Bank since the Oslo Accord and reflected the joint relations between the PA and Israel back then.
A major ceremony was held for the opening of the casino with the participation of several Israeli, Palestinian and international figures. But the opening back then lost some of its luster after then-international model Claudia Schiffer apologized for not being able to join the party at the last moment.
Some $150 million were spent on establishing the casino, which was equipped with 23 gaming tables and 230 ATMs.
