A few days ago, the new problem gambling measure in Japan managed to pass the House of Representatives. After being given the green light at the lower parliamentary chamber, the gambling addiction bill is to proceed to the House of Councillors for further consideration, discussion and vote.
As recently reported by Casino Guardian, a new anti-gambling addiction bill was submitted to the Lower House by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its junior coalition partner Komeito and Nippon Ishin no Kai, the nominal opposition party. The piece of legislation is especially focused on dealing with problem gambling, with gambling addiction countermeasures being sought not only by Japanese lawmakers but also by other parties interested in keeping local customers safe from possible gambling-related harm that could result from the recently opened casino market.
Last week, the House of Representatives started discussions on the Integrated Resorts Implementation Bill, which is to set a broader legislative and regulatory framework on the Japanese casino market in line with the newly-opened casino industry in the country. According to expectations, the afore-mentioned bill would have absolutely no problem passing the Diet before the ending of the current parliamentary session which is set to close on June 20th.
Japan Set to Ensure Casino Players Safety
Japan’s decision to finally open its casino market faced a great interest from foreign investors, with the latter keeping their eyes on possible expansion.
Apart from the fact that the local casino sector is set to be promising, concerns have been shared that liberalisation of the industry could lead to an increase not only in local customers’ gambling participation but also in the number of problem gamblers.
So, the new problem gambling measure comes as an attempt made by the local major political parties to address the rising fears of possible gambling harm. According to the results of a survey carried out by the Japanese Health Ministry in October 2017, about 3.6% of the country’s population, which accounts for approximately 3.2 million residents, were suspected to be suffering from problem gambling behaviour.
Previously, the Government of Japan has made a promise to make everything possible in order to help gambling addicts deal with gambling-related harm and keep local customers safe, which is one of the main reasons why the new anti-gambling addiction bill was rolled out.
Japan legalised casinos late in 2016, after years of delay. However, the country still needs to pass a piece of legislation in order to make sure that there is adequate regulation of the issue. The Integrated Resorts Implementation Bill is now set to be officially turned into law, with the first integrated resort expected to be established in Japan by 2024. The ruling coalition has already reached an agreement on the major aspects of the casino gambling legislation.
As Casino Guardian has already reported, three casino operating licenses are to be granted, with the number of integrated casino resorts’ locations set to be reviewed after a few years. Local casino players would have to pay a casino entry fee of ¥6,000, while foreign visitors of Japanese casinos would not be required to pay an entry fee.
- Author
Daniel Williams
