News

The success of the casinos in the neighbouring countries in the region (Macao, Singapore) has heightened interest in gaming both inside and outside of Japan.



Japanese legislative body has started working on the casino law which should be ready by autumn and may be adopted in spring 2011. According to Shozo Azuma, a pro-gaming law-maker with the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), there is too much money at stake not to consider gaming. He said, “For this country to develop energetically in the future, I think the casino industry has potential worth exploring.”



Under the new law, called the Casino Act, 2 sites to start casinos would initially be selected by the government. If their performance is satisfactory, 8 other sites could be considered. The following places have already expressed interest in opening the first gaming sites - Tokyo, Okinawa, Nagasaki, Osaka, Wakayama, Kanagawa, Chiba, Miyagi, Akita and Hokkaido.



The law also states the operation of each gaming facility would be by private entities licensed by the Casino Administration Organization (which would be established under the Cabinet Office) and the operator would be responsible for all necessary investments related to the operation of a gaming facility (including regulatory costs as well as problem gaming prevention efforts). It is not clear though if the current ban on gaming would be cancelled.



Legalising casinos would also bring new challenges for UNI affiliates in Japan.