The lower house of the Japanese parliament, the Diet, today passed a long-awaited bill to legalise casinos - a major step toward opening up a market seen as a potential global gaming powerhouse.
Some opposition members walked out of the chamber before the vote to protest the bill, which comes after years of delays over worries about gambling addiction and organised crime.
The proposed legislation is all but assured to get through the upper house, which is also controlled by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The LDP is expected to try get to the bill passed quickly before the current parliamentary session ends on December 14.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is hoping that casinos can help support tourism after Tokyo hosts the 2020 Olympics and pump some life into his faltering bid to boost the world’s number three economy.
