The Japan Casino Regulatory Commission (JCRC) has requested more personnel and an increased budget for the 2022 fiscal year as it prepares for the nation’s first IR licenses to be issued.
The Commission is established outside of the central government cabinet and, aside from granting the licenses necessary to operate a casino, is also the body that will oversee issues such as problem gambling countermeasures.
According to information obtained by IAG, the JCRC has requested an extra JPY 370 million (US$3.3 million) in 2020, taking its budget from JPY 4.15 billion (US$37.3 million) to JPY 4.53 billion (US$40.7 million).
The breakdown of its proposed budget includes JPY 3.19 billion (US$28.7 million) for administrative expenses such as personnel – an increase of JPY 130 million (US$1.2 million) over 2021 – and JPY 470 million (US$4.2 million) for facility/operational expenses such as examination standards and guidelines for license approval to ensure appropriate application of the IR Development Act and relationship regulations.
There is also JPY 400 million (US$3.6 million) earmarked for expenses necessary to construct and operate a solid information management system that includes cybersecurity measures in order to implement casino operating licenses and strict entrance management in the casino facilities. Another JPY 260 million (US$2.3 million) is proposed for sending personnel overseas to acquire know-how and gather research techniques in order to advance efforts, and JPY 200 million (US$1.8 million) for expenses required in the examinations and licensing of casino-related device manufacturers.
With the establishment of the IR Development Act, a technology measures office will be established in the Regulatory Oversight division of the Supervisory Examination department, for which the committee has requested that the current 140 personnel be increased by 20 to 160.
