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Lebanese Casino Reopens

JOUNIEH, Lebanon-- The world-renowned Casino du Liban reopened this week. It was a symbol of Lebanon's prewar glory and its reopening is considered a milestone in the country's recovery from 15 years of civil war.

It hopes the casino's revival will finally restore the Mediterranean Arab country's place on the tourist map and shed its wartime image as a hotbed of kidnappers and hijackers.

The casino -- the only legal gambling club in Lebanon -- is rare in the conservative Arab world, where gambling is forbidden under Islamic law. In its heyday, it was the playground of rich Arabs escaping from the stringent rules back home.

The club sits about 10 miles north of Beirut on the rocky coast of the scenic Bay of Jounieh. Thick carpeting and crystal chandeliers have replaced the markings of war -- militia graffiti and shrapnel holes on walls darkened by fire. Flowers and palm trees sit in gardens where militia gunners once had their artillery dugouts.

Security includes a police station outside the compound, a private guard detachment inside, metal detectors and 24-hour video surveillance.

Lebanon was the Middle East's entertainment hub before the 1975-90 civil war. Before the conflict, the casino drew gamblers from around the world and was a stage for international events like the Miss Europe pageant.

After the war started, the foreign clientele disappeared, and rich Lebanese sought refuge in Europe and the Americas. Illegal gambling parlors opened, further eroding the casino's market.

Still, the casino remained a meeting place. Serious gamblers crossed front lines, risking getting shot or kidnapped, just to come to the club.

Today, the casino's Lebanese owners aspire to make it a Las Vegas on the Mediterranean, with four restaurants, a nightclub, a theater, and 200-room hotel. The $50 million renovation is to be completed in 2000.

Foreigners have unrestricted access to the three gambling halls. A Lebanese must prove an annual income of more than $12,000 to be admitted. At more than 60 times the minimum wage, most Lebanese can't afford to play.

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