Japan’s recent natural and nuclear disasters have given fresh impetus to the pro-casino lobby claims a Tokyo-based gaming consultancy.
Gaming Capital Management (GCM) says four former Japanese prime ministers have now been recruited by a pro-casino lobby group within Japan’s parliament—the Diet—to speed passage of enabling legislation for casinos.
Observers outside Japan may be somewhat sceptical of the claims, as they have heard reports of ‘imminent’ action on Japanese casinos many times before. It is possible however that some stirrings of change are occurring. According to a statement issued on GCM’s website, for the first time a significant parliamentary bloc seems to be forming in favour of gaming reform.
GCM-NEWS says the parliamentary lobby group—known as the Integrated Resort and Casino Diet Member Association—consists of 135 Diet members from all parties. The Association—which has met 13 times since its inception—will tomorrow hold its first meeting since the country’s major earthquake and subsequent tsunami on 11th March.
“Some members of the Diet are now insisting that casino legislation be passed. Casinos are a great taxation source and can contribute a lot under current financial difficulties related to the earthquake recovery process,” says GCM-NEWS.
The Association has already been busy behind the scenes since the earthquake. It has been looking at what role if any integrated casino resorts could play in the economic recovery process following the natural disasters and the subsequent emergency at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
In May the Association held a round of consultations with the National Police Agency of Japan.
“The IR and Casino Diet Member Association has now conducted interviews and case studies with a broad network of all the relevant agencies and ministries,” says GCM-NEWS. A representative of GCM will attend tomorrow’s meeting of the parliamentary Association.
“The first official general assembly of the IR and Casino Diet Member Association after the Tōhoku region earthquake will be held on 21st June. It will swing into action to legalise the casino bill finally,” suggests GCM-NEWS.
GCM says one factor that slowed down casino legislation prior to the earthquake disaster was a match-rigging betting scandal involving the Japan Sumo Association—the country’s governing body for sumo wrestling.
Issei Koga, chairman of the IR and Casino parliamentary association—and a member of Democratic Party—hopes it will be possible to submit enabling legislation for casinos at an extraordinary session of the Diet this autumn, adds GCM-NEWS.
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