Two UNLV gaming reports may affect law on Japan casinos

Japanese Diet decision will be critical to several Las Vegas casino firms in the running to build resorts in the country. Caesars Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts, as well as a other national and international companies, already have invested millions of dollars in travel, personnel, lobbying and planning in advance of decisions that some say could produce an industry with US$ 25 billion in annual revenue.

Japanese government officials and business leaders commissioned research from UNLV’s Bo Bernhard, Brett Abarbanel and Jennifer Roberts as well as Kahlil Philander of Washington State University in two reports to guide their nation in launching Japan’s first so-called full-scale resorts, where casinos complement convention facilities, entertainment, luxury retail and fine dining.
The two reports, presented to Japanese stakeholders in September, were made public earlier this month.

Two reports

The 100-page “Socio-Economic Impacts of Japanese Integrated Resorts” was completed Sept. 2 and offers recommendations on lawmakers’ key policy decisions.

The supplemental 31-page “Practical Perspectives on Gambling Regulatory Processes for Study by Japan: Eliminating Organized Crime in Nevada Casinos” completed  August 25 gives more information on how Nevada’s resort community grew from casinos dominated by organized-crime figures to the highly regulated corporate enterprise it is today.

The first report is a socioeconomic analysis of the impacts of a full-scale casino resort, with emphasis on Japan’s goals, including balancing between growing the Japanese tourism market while minimizing the social costs of addictive behavior and crime.

The second report examines how gaming regulation can help Japan eliminate organized crime in casino management, viewed as a key first step for a new casino jurisdiction. The report suggests rigorous standards in pre-licensing background investigations, post-licensing enforcement, internal controls and compliance practices similar to those in Nevada.

More information: www.unlv.edu/igi/research/recent