Inside Asian Gaming

adding, “the most vocal opponents of casino legalisation are the police force” because “while the yakuza originally controlled the pachinko parlors,the business has been basically taken over by the police.” Raisuke Miyawaki, a former director of Japan’s National Police Agency, explains that the reason that the Japanese government is reluctant to allow casinos is “a peculiar cultural concept,” the Japanese sense of responsibility. “If, in theWestern world,someone loses his money through gambling, that is considered to be his own fault,” he explains. “In Japan, many people tend to think that the gambler’s losses are not his fault. Rather, they believe that it is the fault of a bad system for which the government is to blame.” Miyawaki currently serves as president of an association of pachinko parlour owners campaigning for legislation to eliminate yakuza interference in their operations. It is still unclear when casinos will be allowed to open in Japan, but this has not prevented the “Japan Casino School” from opening in Tokyo and starting to train croupiers. Toshiya Ito, its Chief Administrator, says that since its inauguration in April 2004, 130 people have graduated from its six-month course. Still, until the government gives clear word that casinos will be legalised, forking out the 698,000 yen (US$6,069) tuition fee is something of a gamble in itself. Back in 2003, Mayumi Moriyma, the then Justice Minister, admitted that it would be difficult to change the penal code that forbids gambling, but proposed creating a new law to legalise casinos. The Japan Times quoted her saying: “It is possible to enact a special law designed for a specific purpose.” Her attitude reflects a political pragmatism that gives the pro-casino lobbyists cause for cautious optimism. Passion for Pachinko In Japan, between 40 and 50 million people - roughly a quarter of the adult population - play pachinko at least occasionally, and as many as 30 million are avid players. Pachinko is said to have been invented sometime after World War II in Nagoya, though the date is sometimes questioned. As with other forms of gambling, there are some who swear that pachinko requires skill.Through skilful manipulation of the actuating knob, “veteran” players can supposedly control the propulsion of the balls, influencing where they land. ‘Accomplished’ pachinko players can pocket between US$200 and US$1,000 a day, and sometimes a lot more. One “veteran” player, Tetsuo Makino, Akino has opened a Pachinko Museum displaying vintage machines in Tokyo. During his youth, he often skipped classes to play pachinko. Between 1985 and 1987, he claims to have won an average of US$1,739 per month and, at times, up to US$52,173. It is still unclear when casinos will be allowed to open in Japan, but this has not prevented the “Japan Casino School” from opening in Tokyo and starting to train croupiers Keiichi Kimura Raisuke Miyawaki Manabu Miyazaki 24