Japan: who are the nominees for the Casino Management Commission

Japan is to allow a maximum of three resorts in a first phase of market liberalisation

Japan.- Three weeks ago, the national government establish that the country’s casino management commission will start working on January 7, 2020. Last Wednesday, they announced the nominees for the casino regulatory body.

The government proposed Michio Kitamura, an inspector of legal compliance at the country’s Defence Ministry, as chairman of the CMC. He also worked as High Prosecutor’s General in Sendai and Fukuoka.

Other nominees for the casino management commission are Hiroyuki Ujikane, former chief of the National Tax Agency’s Nagoya Regional Taxation Bureau, Noriko Endo, professor at Keio University, Tateshi Higuchi, a retired superintendent general of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and Michiko Watari, a psychiatrist.

The process is supposed to be close before December 9 when the current legal session expires. The people chosen will each serve a five-year term in office, according to October’s ordinance. 

The Casino Management Commission is to be in charge of security matters, probity and background checks.  Also, it will try to introduce measures to assist individuals who are at a risk of developing gambling addiction.

Japan will start its first phase of market liberalisation on 2020 and it is planning on introducing three resorts. The current government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been key to liberalize gambling in Japan. But still an IR framework is expected to be developed and approved, even though a draft has already been introduced in September.

The announcement is closely followed by different possible investors, such as brands, global casino operators and prefectural governments. They all show their interest in hosting a casino resort next year.