As legislators in Japan continue the process of crafting specific rules governing the nation’s coming integrated casino resorts, the governor for Wakayama Prefecture has reportedly suggested that only foreigners should be allowed to gamble at the new venues.
Yoshinobu Nisaka made the recommendation during an interview conducted at last week’s Japan Gaming Congress in Tokyo and explained that restricting gambling to non-Japanese citizens would make the venues more politically palatable due to concerns over addictions. (READ SO: JAPAN LOWER HOUSE PANEL CLEARS CASINO BILL; OPPOSITION WALKS OUT IN PROTEST)
“IN JAPAN, IF SOMEONE IS SEEN AS A GAMBLING ADDICT, EVERYONE WILL TURN AGAINST THE PROJECT, IT’S A VERY ABSOLUTIST VIEW”
The consensus view had been that Japan is to allow locals to gamble so long as they are willing to pay a casino entry fee similar to that already imposed in Singapore. However, placing a ban on Japanese citizens gambling could see potential foreign operators. lawmakers in Japan are reportedly expected to award up to three integrated casino resort licenses for disparate areas of the nation in 2019 with the venues possibly welcoming their first players by 2023.
PERSONALLY, I’M NOT THAT WORRIED BUT CONSIDERING THE POSITION OF WAKAYAMA PREFECTURE, IN ORDER TO GATHER EVERYONE’S SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT TO BUILD AN INTEGRATED CASINO RESORT, IT SHOULD BE A GAMING CENTER FOR FOREIGNERS ONLY. THEN ALL THE POLITICAL OPPOSITION WOULD MELT AWAY.” Said Nisaka
(READ HERE: ONE OF THE ASIAN TIGERS COULD BE THE THIRD GLOBAL POTENTIAL GAMBLING MARKET)
