Japan to expect casino bill by August

The latest Asian country to legalise casinos is set to start a public consultation period in August.

Japan.- The Japanese cabinet of ministers are likely to present new information about the Integrated Resorts (IR) Implementation Bill by August, as it was revealed by GGRAsia. The news outlet cited an unnamed source that reported the news on Wednesday.

The Integrated Resort Regime Promotion Headquarter, headed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and supported by cabinet members, will be in charge of the public knowledge of the detailed of the IR Promotion Bill. After this body passes the information, the IR Promotion Secretariat will inform the details and launch a public comment process on the subject, even if the unnamed source didn’t specify how long the public will be able to comment on the bill.

Back in April it was revealed that the Integrated Resort Promotion Team was drafting a new bill, which needs to be passed before the government can review and accept bids from companies interested in hosting a casino and getting a license. General Manager of Gaming Capital Management Akiyoshi Tsuruoka, said to Totally Gaming that the IR Promotion Team is aiming to pass the second bill during the extra session of the Diet this autumn.

There are some objections around the casino projects in Japan, related to gambling addiction and other possible negative impacts those might have. But the Japanese government is aiming to move forward with the idea to turn casino resorts into growth engines to prevent the economy from shaking when the consumption tax increases are introduced in late 2019 and the Tokyo Olympics.