More speculation on casinos in Japan hit the headlines this week following a press conference with Sega over its purchase of a major resort and the possibility of opening a casino there.
The major daily newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, ran a large article on the subject following the conference over the Sea Gaia resort with its seafront position in Miyazaki prefecture. The 700-hectare property, which houses a major hotel, tennis courts, spa and golf course, was owned by a foreign consortium but has operated at a loss.
Sega has bought the property for Y40bn (€370m) and the press conference saw questions on the casino prospects to which representatives of Sega responded that the deal had not been conditional on casinos becoming legal in Japan or that the resort would obtain a licence. However, they said that “when the law to legalise casinos is passed we would consider it carefully.”
Meanwhile, according to the newspaper, Sega continues to build on its casino investments in other countries where they are permitted. Pachinko machine manufacturer Universal Entertainment is opening a casino in the Philippines at a cost of Y1.6bn (€14.8m). The publication also noted that Konami had approval for the manufacture of casino slots as far back as 1996 and will therefore be ready to supply machines once casinos are permitted in Japan.
On March 31, the chief secretary to the Ministry of Tourism in Japan went on record as stating that casinos would help to stabilise the Japanese economy after the natural disaster of last year and help create a fund for special relief measure. The Japanese National Assembly has an all-party bill being presented to it before April 2013, which will demand the approval of a resort casino "as an exception."
Many of the less wealthy Japanese cities and prefectures have cited an interest in such a project, although the National Assembly is likely to choose initially between Tokyo and Osaka as a location. Other cities and prefectures that have indicated interest in the project include Kanagawa, Wakayama and Okinawa.
Recent research by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Labour reported that 9.6 per cent of men and 1.5 per cent of women felt that casinos would lead to compulsive gambling.
