Japanese Casino plan put on hold again

The bill that would have made casinos legal in Japan had already encountered numerous delays after being introduced in parliament, and following news of the recent development has now effectively become a dead piece of legislation until the fall, at the very least.

Optimists had originally hoped that the issue would be settled in time for a number of casino resorts to be built ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

International gambling operators had even been lining up to take advantage of any sudden opening in the Japanese market, with Las Vegas Sands Corp having put forward its proposal to build a $10 billion casino resort on the island.

However, concerns over the potential social problems associated with casino gambling have served to stymie the lawmaker’s attempts to repeal the country’s ban on casinos.

“

“

Optimists had originally hoped that the issue would be settled in time for a number of casino resorts to be built ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

”

While only a number of gambling activities are currently permitted in Japan, including the lottery, horse racing and betting on some motor sports, the country still has a high rate of gambling addiction, with 5.36 million people, or 4.8% of the adult population considered addicts.