More limits to Japan casinos

Japan authorities would register and limit the amount of times residents enter a casino.

Japan.- National legislators are discussing several ways of limiting the casino development in Japan. The latest proposal is to register the residents’ visits to casinos in order to ban them if authorities consider there is a risk of problem gambling. Japanese players would be asked to present their “My Number” identity card every time they enter a gaming venue.

The amount of permitted entries has not been decided yet, but operators would be obligated to inform the government about residents’ visits. The registration list would be controlled by a special governmental commission as an external bureau of the Cabinet Office.

A few months ago, a previous project aimed at banning residents from participating at casino activities. The measure was highly rejected by international investors, jeopardising the gaming development that has been approved last year. The government released its new plan of preventing problem gambling last Monday, as the newspaper The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

The project would also ban casino publicity outside the integrated resorts’ host communities. The bill would be included on the comprehensive gaming law, which would be approved later this year. Investors will begin the construction of Japanese casinos once the Parliament passes the complete legislation.