Jul 16 (News On Japan) - Japan should consider examining what Australia has achieved with its thriving gambling industry to ensure a positive experience once the casino in Osaka is finished and open for business.
The decision to approve and start building a physical casino in the western city of Osaka was controversial and met with some strong concerns. However, to make the process as potentially successful as possible, perhaps Japan should look east and consider what Australia has achieved with a flourishing sector.
The casino project—delayed and expected to open in 2030 and cost around 1.27 trillion yen ($8.64 billion)—has been considered a way to improve our tourism sector and the country’s economy. Therefore, with six years between now and the expected launch, there is plenty the government could be doing to ensure that our population is safe from everything they fear regarding gambling. For more details, you can read the full article at https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14998593.
The country has already outlawed many gambling activities. However, the legal landscape has started to change. In 2018, lawmakers approved a bill that would permit them to be legal in the country. The bill would implement certain restrictions and tariffs on citizens to help protect them and ensure responsible gambling takes place.
Regarding the regulatory framework, we could potentially examine what Australia has been doing and what has made it successful and apply it at home. The industry in Australia is strictly regulated and subject to licensing, meaning any company that looks to enter the market has to adhere to the strictest of rules. This could mean opening up the online industry and making it legal in Japan. The sites that can be found at https://www.casinoaus.org/online-pokies/ are among those that ensure a safe experience and one that protects everyone with the regulations that are in place. Japan could copy these and apply them to its own laws, thus ensuring our nation has control over what happens and protects the people from potentially getting into trouble.
Problem gambling is a huge concern nationally and has been a big reason why the casino industry hasn’t been legalized. Many are concerned with the dangerous aspects that can be experienced from gambling experiences when they aren’t managed properly or enjoyed responsibly.
The laws passed in 2018 stated that the integrated resorts would have to restrict natives. This included limiting the number of times they could visit to between three times a week or ten times in one month and placing a 6,000 yen entrance fee to try and discourage citizens from going too regularly. The decision to build the casino is mainly from a tourism aspect, not from one to improve their economy from natives, as detailed in our article: https://newsonjapan.com/article/138710.php.
All countries face societal concerns due to problem gambling, and Australia is no different. It remains a point of focus when it comes to public concern and is focused upon a lot in terms of the country’s public policy. According to figures, 2022 saw 72.8% of Australia’s adult population admitting that they had participated in activities related to gambling over the course of the previous year. They’ve managed to place certain measures in place, such as banning the use of credit cards as a deposit method and this is something that could be implemented here. It’s an effective strategy, as the UK and many other countries worldwide have also adopted this approach to ensure responsible gambling is experienced and societal issues are restricted as much as possible.
With responsible gambling the key, Tokyo should be considering introducing independent bodies to ensure the smooth transition of a newly legalized industry in the country, as these can help to ensure positive experiences can be had. They can help to limit potential dangers that may be experienced because of its newness, with countries like Australia already using them to effect. They can protect the people in a fair way because of their independent status, while also working with the industry and ensuring positive growth is experienced that can help the country thrive.
There will undoubtedly be many challenges and obstacles that will need to be faced by regulators and the government when it comes to gambling activities, especially as with the construction of the inaugural casino in Osaka. However, if we look at the way countries like Australia have managed to handle the industry and the regulations that have been put in place, there is every chance that we can learn the lessons we need to before it becomes too late. If we do this, Japan can look to potentially have a lot of success within the market as soon as possible.
