Japan to take action against pachinko operators

The government is discussing how to take action against operators who have refused to close parlours during the Covid-19 state of emergency.

Japan.- The Japanese government is planning to take strong action against pachinko operators that have remained open despite a state of emergency in the country due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

According to Inside Asian Gaming, Japan’s Minister for Economic Revitalisation, Yasutoshi Nishimura, said the government is looking into ways of forcing them to close.

In March, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, requested that pachinko parlours undertake self-imposed closures in a bid to halt the spread of Coronavirus.

Okura Holdings reported to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, “the group intends to continue operating all of its pachinko halls across Japan, including the five pachinko halls in the areas under the state of emergency.”

Unlike Okura Holdings, Dynam and Maruhan, the largest pachinko parlour operators in the country, have shut their shops in seven prefectures in line with government advice.