Sri Lanka has postponed final approvals for two casinos, delaying a US$350 million (MOP2.8 billion) investment by Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd co-chairman James Packer (pictured). A government bill that would give the go-ahead for the casinos and grant the projects 10-year tax breaks was withdrawn after protests by Buddhist monks in the governing coalition, Agence France-Presse reports. The two casino-resort projects received cabinet approval last month. Crown Ltd, Mr Packer’s company, plans to build a hotel and resort in Colombo with two skyscrapers.
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