Oct 30 (newsonjapan.com) - Alongside South Korea and China, Japan is one of the leaders in the thriving Asian gambling industry.
The three countries will also continue to drive the Asian gambling industry in the years to come and one of the latest reports on the Asian gambling industry suggests that Japan, South Korea, and China are responsible for over eighty percent of the Asia Pacific region’s market. When it comes to Japan, there are no land-based casinos in the country but three fully integrated casino resorts are expected to open their doors sometime in the future.
Back in 2019, the Japanese government finally legalized land-based casinos. Many were surprised to learn that lotteries, horse racing betting, and slot machines were a huge part of the Japanese lifestyle while casino gambling activities were illegal. In 2019, the Japanese ban on casino gambling ended as the government introduced that rather controversial and unusual “integrated casino resort law”. To advance the country’s gambling market, Japan started welcoming bids from international casino companies.
In its initial stages, the new bill that legalized casino resorts in the country will grant gaming licenses to three different locations. In the beginning, the plan was to build three fully integrated casino resorts, and everyone expected to see these casino resorts completed by late 2020. Rallying for international investors, Wakayama, Nagasaki, Yokohama, and Osaka entered the race followed by Hokkaido, Aichi, and Chiba prefecture alongside Tokyo city.
What Happened with Japan’s Plan to Introduce Three Fully Integrated Casino Resorts?
For the very first time in Japanese history, the Japanese government was ready to offer new business opportunities to renowned international companies. Originally, the plan was to kickstart a completely new casino gambling industry by introducing Japanese-style fully integrated casino resorts. Fully integrated casino resorts would consist of multiple facilities besides land-based casinos including shopping centers, conference halls, restaurants, and hotels.
The newly introduced bill was accepted by the upper and lower house and the government formed a four-member administration committee. The administration committee was tasked with monitoring licensing requirements. The administration committee also focused on easing growing concerns over the possible negative impacts of such gambling establishments. The original “integrated promotion law”, also detailed that the casino gambling floors within fully integrated resorts will be limited to three percent of the facility’s entire floor area. The bill also suggested all resorts will be tasked with taking appropriate measures to prevent gambling addiction and one of these measures would be limiting the number of local visitors.
Also, planned integrated casino resorts would grant free access to foreigners while locals would be charged. The bill introduced back in 2019 also detailed that the casino admission fees collected from foreigners would be split between respective prefectural councils and the Japanese government. However, the race to secure one of three licenses to build and operate fully integrated casino resorts slowed down and as of today, not much has been done.
Back in August 2021, it was revealed that Yokohama dropped out of the race following the election of a new mayor. Therefore, the race to build and operate one of three integrated casino resorts in Japan is down to only three municipalities including Nagasaki, Osaka, and Wakayama. The three municipalities that are still in the race had been working for months on their bids and the process includes canvassing for international casino operators and finding stakeholders.
One of the casino companies interested in building and running an integrated casino resort in Japan is MGM Resorts. In July of 2021, MGM Resorts revealed its plan for building and running a casino in Japan. The company wants to build a resort of Yumeshima, a man-made island located in Osaka Bay. The company’s US$9 billion plan was proposed to Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura. A couple of months later, the company’s plan was not given the necessary go-ahead even though Mr. Yoshimura warmly accepted the proposal.
Another industry leader, Caesars Entertainment is interested in building and running one of three Japanese integrated casino resorts. As revealed in September 2021, the company has already joined the operating and development consortium with Clairvest Neem Ventures. Caesars Entertainment plans to build a resort in Wakayama Marina City. According to its officials, the company will have a draft development plan ready by November.
Still, Japan’s Plan to Introduce Integrated Casino Resorts is Not a Done Deal
With things moving slowly, many experts believe Japan’s plan to introduce integrated casino resorts is not a done deal. With Yokohama dropping out of the race after being one of the early candidates, the national government may not be so eager to grant necessary licenses. The national government already started accepting plans from interested local governments, but not much has been done. While up to three licenses could be granted, the national government can decide to grant one or two licenses.
Another realistic possibility, there could be zero licenses and, in this case, only online casinos remain. When it comes to the online casino industry in Japan, it is rather unregulated so there are locally operating online casinos. At the same time, Japanese residents can join international online casinos. The page about Japan from scams.info explains everything about casino websites with Japanese support, so if you are interested in learning more, check it out. Unless something drastically changes, no land-based casinos will open their doors in Japan any time soon.
