Japan casinos bill out of the question

The Integrated Resorts Promotion bill will not be introduced during the current sitting of the Diet.

Japan.- The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) announced that the Integrated Resorts Promotion bill will not be introduced during the current sitting of the Diet, which makes next to impossible to have casinos operating in the Asian country in time for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

With exception of the political arena, conditions are actually quite favorable for Japan to introduce casinos. Japan finds itself again on the brink of a recession, amid a quarter century of economic stagnation.

In terms of the region, the timing for casinos in Japan may never be better. Declining in VIP play in Macau and rising Chinese middle class tourism, which favour Japan as a destination, makes the country’s domestic market and regional destination potential all the more appealing.

Dentsu, the communications giant, conducted a survey last year and found that the more Tokyo residents learn about Integrated Resorts, their economic benefits and range of facilities, the more accepting they are of them. Unfortunately, casino supporters in and out of the government haven’t acted on these findings.

“It would appear that Japan has missed the boat when it comes to casino gaming,” said Paul Bromberg, Spectrum Asia CEO. “Other political and economic issues have taken precedence. Legalizing gaming is not a major issue domestically and there are more pressing matters currently facing the government.”