The Japanese government has approved a plan to build the country’s first legal casino in Osaka in hopes of attracting tourists, UCA News reported on April 14.
The local governments of the cities of Osaka and Nagasaki in western Japan have long been seeking permission to build so-called “integrated resorts,” complexes that combine casinos, convention centers, hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers.
The Osaka authorities’ plan to open casinos by 2029 has been approved after “sufficient scrutiny from various points of view,” Japan’s Minister of Land and Transport Tetsuo Saito told reporters.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida praised the move, saying the resort will help develop the region and “become a tourist base that will tell the world about the charm of Japan.”
Japan was for a long time the only developed country that prohibited the operation of casinos in its territory, but in 2016 a law was passed that opened up opportunities for the legalization of the industry. And in 2018, Parliament passed a law allowing the construction of objects from the category of “integrated resort”.
Critics of the bill warn that passing legal casinos could exacerbate the country’s already serious gambling problem.
The groups pointed to an increase in requests for help from young people addicted to smartphone gambling and illegal online casinos, adding that it is better for society to crack down on addiction more stringently than to condone casinos.
A 2021 government survey found that around 2.2% of Japan’s population, or 2.8 million people, suffer from gambling addiction.
Japan also has a multi-billion dollar market for state-controlled horse racing, motorcycle, boat and bicycle racing, as well as soccer betting and lotteries.
The government says that any “integrated resort” complex that seeks government approval will have to submit plans to prevent gambling addiction among the population.
The law also stipulates that Japanese citizens must pay 6,000 yen for every 24 hours spent in the casino.
Saito also noted that there is a limit on the number of visits to the establishment by Japanese citizens, and family members can demand that their relative be banned from the casino.
The Osaka government estimates the economic contribution of the “integrated resorts” at 1.14 trillion yen ($8.6 billion) a year, while the facilities will create 15,000 jobs.
The complex is expected to handle a total of 20 million visitors a year and generate 520 billion yen in sales, 80% of which will come from the casino.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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