Lawmakers in Japan are optimistic that a bill to create the framework to legalise casinos in Japan will be passed this year.
However, they also agree that a major obstacle may still be the cautious stance of the Komeito Party, a key coalition member. The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has already announced its support of the concept as a means to stimulate growth in the Japanese economy. The drafting of the bill is said to be at an advanced stage.
It is thought that there will be no visible progress until after the completion of the unified local elections on April 26, but thereafter the Abe administration would introduce the bill and seek to pass it in the current ordinary Diet session, scheduled to end on June 24.
Global casino operators have been lining up plans to invest billions in Japan, which is expected to rapidly become one of the world’s biggest casino markets. The legislation failed to pass last year after political scandals triggered snap elections, which returned Abe to power.
