politics

Costs, politics erode chances for a Tokyo casino by 2020

25 Comments
By Ritsuko Ando

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25 Comments
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pachibjo .... there is no pacxhinko gambling in Las Vegas. There is no pachinko machines in casinos either.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Get rid of pachinkos and have a casino already."

Exactly, exactly! Just convert the existing smoky pachinkos to smoke-free casinos! Two birds with one stone!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

tokyodoumoOCT. 03, 2014 - 01:49AM JST

Legalizing Casino Gambling is a Pillar of Japan's economic growth??? ABE must be getting kick backs from the casinos to say something ridiculous like tha

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What kickbsck? Casinos haven't opened yet to give kickback of anything.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Legalizing Casino Gambling is a Pillar of Japan's economic growth??? ABE must be getting kick backs from the casinos to say something ridiculous like that.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Masuzoe may have some reasons in opposing Casinos in Tokyo, Inland sea side of Chugoku and Shikoku may kove to have casino hotels there to get rid of pachinko housesHow about Okinawa and Kyusyu?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If people would finally admit that pachinko and slots IS gambling, then maybe they would realize that they don't need anymore.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They do not use govt money. They build quickly allk the tme in Vegas, Macao, singaporere, etc.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I know things take a long time here, but this is such an obvious money spinner that you would think it would be rushed thru. unless vested interests (horse, bikes, boats, pachinko) have clubbed together to put a block on it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Tokyo and Osaka? Really?

Why not in Okinawa? Chuugoku region? Anywhere in Chukoku? Southern-Central Kyushu? Hokkaido?

Tokyo and Osaka's central position in Japanese society is one of the major contributing issues for Japan's demographic problems.

I get that the market is there year round, but I thought we were talking about regional revitalization? How does it help having more money flow into Tokyo?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The cynical side of me tells me that the "influential" pachinko operators have been having more than a few words to Masuzoe for this to happen...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I feel like I am in the minority here. I think they should legalize gambling soon then put a high tax on it. There is already enough gambling around but it skirts the need to pay taxes. If gambling becomes legal, than they will surely have to pay taxes. some of which could go into a fund to help people be educated and help about gambling addictions. This will help families that suffer from the extreme end of gambling as well as possibly help the economy.

Rickvee: I totally agree and with most things in Japan, the real issue lies in who is going to line the politicians pockets.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Nagasaki, several places in Okinawa sound better than Tokyo or Osaka. No snow. Chinese billionaire gamblers will love there. These places should invite, Sands, MGM Wynn, etc, Emphasize their weather is similar to Las Vegas.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I vote for one or two in Okinawa which is by far more foreign friendly which is were the majority of money will come from as Japanese people are for the majority savers not spenders

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Japan already has an immense social problem in gambling. How many people, including those with families and small children, blow their pay at horse races, boat races, bicycle races, motorcycle races, pachinko, pachislo, and the like? None of these venues has done much good for Japan's economy, do they?

I get tired of hearing stories of children left in hot cars while their mothers spend four or five hours at a pachinko hall. Japan needs casinos like it needs a hole in the head.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Why do they have to have a Casino ready in 2020, enough money will be stolen during the Olympics.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I am not very convinced in this Casino thing Abe is pushing...further more, if that is going to be done at least I hope they don't do it in the big cities....

why not make a Casino resort type of thing in Nagasaki for example ....turn Gunkanjima to a Casinocruisejima... for example..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@rickeye: Also Anegasaki Ikka, Inagawa Kai, Sumiyishi kai and Kyokuto gimi must be glad their illegal gambling arenas (tobaku-ba) will not lose their regular customers to casinos if legalized.

Employees pay rate may be low but they get quite large tips. (2 to 5 times of oay by casinos)o

Casinos are not built with tax money. Sands has plan of 10 billion dollars. So are others. Mitsui has plan, too. How about gambling tax income for government/? No need to worry to increase sales tax.

Sorry to /chinese billionaires of Northern China. they have to gamble in Macao and Malaysua, Singapore but Russia has plan in Siberia.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Get rid of pachinkos and have a casino already.

Pachinko is, too, a gamble which is supposed to be forbidden in Japan, which doesn't have to pay tax.

Thaey cheat, don't they?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Don't the gamblers have enough options already, especially with the growth of online betting? What the city needs are parks and sporting facilities for children, families and people with healthier hobbies.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

there's no rationale for masuzoe being so "busy" that he can't also begin plans for developing casinos in tokyo. my only thought is that the pachinko people must be donating big time to his slush fund.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Casinos foster social decay and economic inequality. Japan already has enough of that.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Happy day for Japan, I hope more happy news like this one .

4 ( +6 / -2 )

GOOD! one less evil to deal with.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Once again all the focus is on putting big potential money-makers into the big cities that already have a lot of money.

There are dozens of smaller cities and rural areas just dying for ANY source of revenue and revitalization that would have no "skyrocketing building costs" nor "governments focused on things other than building these resorts".

Why doesn't Abe and the government use this as an effective means of revitalizing and stop the emptying out of the provinces and countryside?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called legalizing casino gambling a pillar of his plan to revive economic growth.

This is sad. Abe's "pillar" is to take more money from hard-working Japanese, who have basically had their wages frozen for several years, and already pay their fair share in taxes and face another increase in the consumption tax in the near future, not to mention the high cost of living. Besides, if he took the time to look at Las Vegas for example, he would see that all these resorts do is create a lot of low-paying, service jobs. Not what Japan needs to "revive economic growth".

8 ( +9 / -1 )

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