With one eye on the 2020 Olympics, Japanese lawmakers are accelerating the casinos project which has been in various stages of discussion over the past few years.
The legalisation of casinos in Japan has now reached the stage where an outline law will see casinos appear not just in cities but in regional areas too. The latest version of the proposals from the special all-party casino committee of the Diet (the Japanese Parliament) on the subject suggests strong legislation to ensure that illegal operations do not occur.
Inspectors would be in place to monitor the business, under the proposals which are likely to reach Parliament before the end of the year. International players, including Wynn Resorts , MGM, Las Vegas Sands and Caesars Entertainment, already have plans in place to build major resort casinos. Other elements of security in the proposals include the necessity for both operators and suppliers to have permits.
It is likely that a limited number of locations would be initially permitted, with the density increasing gradually. Tokyo and Osaka are obvious starting points and the big operators would certainly team up with major Japanese companies as partners, including Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Itochu and inevitably companies already in the business such as Sega Sammy Holdings and Konami.
