DAMASCUS, Syria, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Syria's only casino may be operating illegally and could be closed, said Mohammed Habash, a member of the Syrian Parliament.
The Ocean Club near Damascus airport opened its doors Christmas Eve, the first place to offer gambling in the country since the 1970s when religious conservatives forced the government to shut down gaming venues, the Abu Dhabi-based daily The National said.
"If it is true that there is a casino and gambling, then we are responsible to struggle against such activity," Habash, an Islamic scholar and member of Syria's national Parliament, told The National Wednesday.
"We have licenses for restaurants and nightclubs, but there are no licenses for casinos or gambling. So we consider this to be outside the law. The government is responsible to stop this kind of activity. We are not going to ask for (the casino's) legal justification, we are looking to stop and close this kind of activity."
Habash said he intends to raise the issue before Parliament, which must respond within 30 days. If the government confirms gambling is taking place, then he will demand the casino be "forcibly closed" for operating illegally, he said.
