Ecuador could witness the return of its shuttered casino industry if a local advocacy group’s economic arguments can win the public relations war.

In 2012, the last of Ecuador’s licensed casinos and bingo halls shut their doors, following a 2011 referendum that empowered President Rafael Correa to eliminate the nation’s land-based gaming industry. Illegal gaming halls were ordered to immediately close in September 2011 and the last of the 32 legal venues followed six months later.

But hope dies eternal, and this week saw a push to reopen those shuttered gaming venues by a new group calling itself the Association of Former Casinos Workers of Ecuador (ETCE). Led by Mauricio Villacís, ETCE has submitted proposals to several government departments in the hope that the issue will gain some traction in the halls of power.

The government justified its gambling crackdown by dwelling on the “social problems” gambling can cause while Villacís is focusing on the economic gains gambling can produce. Local media quoted Villacís arguing that legalizing casinos, bingo halls and sports betting operations – both land-based and online – could produce over 20k new jobs, bring $400m in new investment and hundreds more millions in gambling taxes.