‘Single, tightly secured’ casinos on the horizon for Japan’s IRs

Despite reports that it won’t likely come up for debate until next year, Japan’s second casino legislation is steadily taking shape.

On Wednesday, Asia Gaming Brief reported that the Experts’ Committee has approved several new proposals for the Integrated Resorts (IR) Implementation Bill, including the creation of a “Casino Management Board” as an external bureau of the Cabinet Office.

Another proposal, also approved by the committee, is that “there would be only a single, tightly secured casino,” with a total floor space not exceeding 3 percent of each integrated resort’s total area. The casinos will be allowed to offer slot machines, card games and roulette, among others, but betting on sports events and online gaming will be banned.

A separate group of ministers has been tasked with the Promotion of Countermeasures on Addictions of Gambling, but the Experts’ Committee also included several measures to address the potential harms that the introduction of gambling could inflict on this already addiction-prone population. The proposals include requiring Japanese nationals to buy their casino chips with cash as well banning ATMs and the use of credit cards within the casino facilities.