Japanese Government Starts Work on Second Gambling Law

Japan was probably the last nation in the developed world to legalise casinos and gambling. Casino legalisation proponents in this country have come a long way, as recently the country’s lawmakers finally passed a law that legalised the establishment of online casinos. Over the years, there were several unsuccessful attempts at casino legalisation.

Even though Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and most members of his Liberal Democratic Party were in favour of gambling legalisation, there was still a strong group of casino legalisation opponents. Towards the end of last year, casinos were finally legalised, but there’s still a lot of work to be done as the law that was passed only sets the foundations. Other laws need to be passed as well, and there are other issues that need to be addressed, including infrastructure, casino locations and licencing.

The First Japanese Casino Won’t Be Opened until 2020

Now, it has been reported that the Government started working on the next step in the process, namely producing legal acts that will provide specific provisions regarding casino construction, licencing and operation.

The second act that is currently being drafted will regulate the industry and it is expected to contain provisions regarding safety, customer protection, as well as designated locations where casino resorts can be established. Once the details of the new draft are publicly announced, both potential visitors and, more importantly, will have a clearer picture as to what can be expected.

The Japanese Government takes the job at hand seriously and they have already summoned a team of lawmakers, gambling experts and economists that are working on the new law.  Primer Minister Abe said that the goal is to implement only the highest standards that will ensure that Japanese casinos are ‘fully clean’.  The PM also recognised the importance of law implementation.

PM Abe did not provide a timeframe, but it is believe that the bill can enter parliamentary procedure this autumn and be passed by the end of the calendar year. Even if the law is in power by 2017, the Japanese will still have to wait until at least 2020 before they can visit a legal casino in their country.

Highest Customer Protection Standard Will Be Upheld, Says PM

Many members of the Japanese Parliament have pointed out that one of their key goals will be to protect the Japanese population from the negative effects of casino gambling, pledging to ensure the highest possible level of customer protection.

Japanese media outlets have reported that the nation’s leading politicians have an intention to provide a secure gambling environment for the players. The acts that regulate horse racing and pachinko games will probably be altered in accordance with the new standards.

While the Government is working on a new law, casino operators that are eyeing the Japanese market are busy with their lobbying campaigns. It has been reported that the largest international casino companies have expressed their interest to invest in Japan.

Economic analysts have estimated that the Japanese gambling market might reach $20 billion in value. Many countries in the Asia Pacific region and Oceania already have highly developed casino industries and many of them plan further investments as an answer to the competition coming from Japan.