Jun 11 (newsonjapan.com) - The Japanese government has legalised gambling in Japan but it is still struggling to convince locals on the benefits.
Gambling on the lottery, racing (horse, boat and bicycle) and pachinko (a type of pinball) are popular in Japan, with the total gambling industry worth over $203bn (23 trillion yen). The betting revenue generated by pachinko players alone is more than the amount generated by a combination of all the gambling businesses in Macau, the world's top gambling resort. It is surprising, therefore, that the Japanese government has had to devote resources to convincing locals on the benefits of legalising casino gambling.
The argument against Casinos
According to a poll by the country's broadcaster NHK, only 12% of the populace supported the move to legalise casinos. Some of the critics mentioned the possible rise in problem gambling and the rise of criminal gangs. Some politicians are already mulling over the possibility of using an entry tax to discourage patronage as they attempt to avoid pachinko-like addiction. There are thousands of pachinko addicts, with around 11,000 pachinko parlours.
The hostility of the general public towards the idea has forced the mayor of Yokohama to withdraw her support for the legislation and with 75% of the Japanese populace showing disdain for the legislation, it is only a matter of time before others follow suit.
How is the government fighting the rejection?
The prime minister, Shinzo Abe has been keen to mention the fact that the casinos will only be a part of resorts that will be designed to be family friendly, featuring shops, hotels and more. The construction of the complexes will bring in ¥5trn for the country's ailing economy and will generate a ¥2trn yearly when activities kick off as a result of an upsurge in tourism.
To battle the rejection of construction in neighbourhoods by locals, the government is mulling over the possibility of building the resorts away from the people. Osaka best encapsulates this as the government is building the resort on an artificial island in Osaka Bay. The government is also hammering on the fact that the vast majority of visitors to the resort will be tourists. Over 20m people visit Japan every year, spending ¥3.5trn. The numbers are expected to rise to 40m tourists and ¥7trn spent by 2020.
Situation with Casino Operators
A good number of casino operators are already queuing up to become a part of the Japanese casino scene. They include Hard Rock Café International, MGM Resorts, Las Vegas Sands and others. Stritcly online casinos like www.newcasinosonline.co are also expected to start offering content for Japanese audience.
Experts are, however, watching to see how Japan will deal with the competition from Malaysia, Singapore and Macau. The Japanese culture, cuisine and touristy appeal have been mooted as possible strong points but it remains to be seen how these will come into play in the grand scheme of things.
