The Japan Casino Regulatory Commission has provided further details around its approach to casino regulation in Japan, adding a series of updates to its official website.
The updates follow the release last April of the Commission’s draft casino regulations, including a list of the nine games and 21 variants that will be permitted inside the nation’s casinos. Those regulations were finalized in May after a public consultation period.
New details listed on the Commission’s website are divided into four sections: Concept/Approach to Casino Regulations, Overview of Casino Regulations, Summary of Casino Regulations and Measures against Adverse Effects, and Main Laws Concerning Casino Regulations.
In explaining its mission, the Commission said, “The IR Development Act is meant to achieve attractive, long-stay tourism that is competitive on an international scale by utilizing sound casino business operations, run under appropriate national monitoring and management and promoting the development of IR regions. Therefore, in order to achieve the IR objective, it is essential that the casinos in IR facilities are run soundly and legally.
“The IR Development Act calls for various foolproof measures regarding casinos in order to achieve sound casino operations and ease concerns. The Casino Regulatory Commission’s mission is to ensure credible casino administration by thoroughly enforcing the strict casino regulations based on the law and ensuring casino operations run under appropriate national monitoring and management.”
In its Summary of Casino Regulations and Measures against Adverse Effects, the Commission has divided regulations into four categories: market regulations according to licensing, casino facility/equipment regulations, casino operation activity regulations and responses to concerns.
Market regulations regulate and monitor not only casino operators, executives and employees, but also stockholders, facility land proprietors, game equipment manufacturers and licensing for certain transactions. There will also be monitoring of casino-related equipment.
On the aforementioned nine games and 21 variants to be allowed in the form of table games and electronic games (EGM), operators will pay 15% of GGR as payment to national treasury and another 15% split between the prefecture in which the casino is located and the Commission itself. Tax payment will also be regulated and managed by the Commission.
In addressing concerns around gambling addiction, advertisements, incentives and comps will be regulated while local residents will require a government-issued individual number card for entry.
As previously reported by Inside Asian Gaming, related measures include a JPY 6,000 (US$53) entry levy, a limit on locals of three visits every seven days or 10 every 28 days, loaning restrictions – the borrower must hold a casino account with a deposit of at least JPY 10 million – plus the ability for patrons and their family members to request further access restrictions.
Strict countermeasures will be taken to counter money laundering including prohibiting the transfer of chips and of taking chips off the casino grounds. The penalty for doing so can be up to 12 months in prison and/or a fine of up to JPY 1 million (US$8,750). Casinos must notify authorities of all cash transactions exceeding JPY 1 million.
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