politics

Diet OKs law to allow up to 3 casino resorts

30 Comments
By Mari Yamaguchi

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The ridiculous laws, again full of complexity that end up ineffective but some how giving cash to friends and family of Diet members. Gamblers and I'm only talking about addictive gamblers need help. It destroys carrears and family and who takes their money? The same teeth sucking old men who made it easier to garnish their cash. It's not a move that helps anyone but the elite.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

I wonder who will own the Japanese holding firms that will undoubtedly control these casinos, or the construction companies that will build them?

I'll lay 50 to 1 odds that it'll be people who are friends or relatives of LDP Diet members.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

It will be a huge boost and cheer up the areas who suffered so much in 2011.

After large-scale tragedies, nothing cheers me up like seeing slimy gambling addicts further ruining their lives and having much of the profit repatriated to billionaires abroad, with a cut for our local reptiles, of course. YMMV.

I am really angry at Edano for trying to win political points for trying to stop the Integrated Resorts progress. He wants to stop jobs and growth. Public will never vote for his party.

This may be true. For the moment I'm simply astonished to see the opposition still exists. They're so rarely mentioned in the local press.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

I reckon "up to three" means "three" and they already know where they'll be and who will run them. This is discussion is all a charade.

If you live in one of those areas when they are built, expect a gradual increase in theft.

3.6% is 1 in 28 people. If the Western model is to be followed, perhaps the real danger is not established games like roulette or blackjack but those high-stake slot machines that are specifically designed using cutting-edge science to be keep the punter playing (i.e. to be addictive). They basically hypnotize people to fleece them.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

We all know Japan's Asian neighbours love to gamble

We all know that Japanese love to gamble - to a very worrying level - and THAT is the major issue here.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

I'm sorry, but I find it hard to get angry about this bill. There is so much gambling in Japan right now, the idea of adding three casinos that will charge locals to enter Y6000 does not concern me one bit. So many countries have added casinos as a way of enticing tourists and people to spend money, that Japan would be foolish not to go this route. The only thing that I want to know is who will be owning these casinos? If it locally owned and taxed then no problem, but if the owners are Sheldon Adelson or some other foreigner who will pull all the money out of Japan, that is problematic.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

I wouldn’t pay an entrance fee to go in a casino unless they are giving free drinks or something else of equal value to compensate for the initial cost.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

And so it begins.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

A fee to get in? What is that? I have been to Vegas a million times and did not have to pay a fee to get into any casino there.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

It seems that politicians love rather bakuchi (gamblings) than ordinary people.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

There are probably some employment opportunities suddenly available for foreigners with strong bilingual skills and a background in the service industry. If this had happened when I was younger and in different circumstances, I'd be attempting to contact some of these casino companies right now.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

There is so much gambling in Japan right now, the idea of adding three casinos that will charge locals to enter Y6000 does not concern me one bit. So many countries have added casinos as a way of enticing tourists and people to spend money, that Japan would be foolish not to go this route.

I agree. Not saying it's necessarily a 'good thing' but it just won't matter that much. There's no need for faux outrage.

Having spent a big chunk of my life in Australia where pokies, casinos, sports betting, racing etc are everywhere (ads, news, pubs, sports venues, casinos in cbd etc) and where gambling addiction is on a whole 'nother level ("Australia is the world’s leader when it comes to gambling, spending around $24 billion dollars a year. That's about 40 per cent more, per capita, than any other nation on the planet. Data from global consultancy H2 Gambling Capital puts Australia's total gambling losses per resident adult at about $1000 a year, the highest amount in the world.") I'll probably always think that japan's doing 'ok' when it comes to restricting access to gambling (no casinos, no pokies, very few sports you can bet on etc) even if they arent and should/could probably do more.

All about bread & circuses though; 'giv'em booze, sex, gambling etc and they'll never revolt'.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Meh. Casinos provide low paying jobs and are pretty much a waste of time. I don't see the draw and I could care less. I don't think it's going to do anybody any good.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

"Friends and relatives of the LDP" is a mild way to say it. There is one particular person who is behind this and many other government decisions, especially those concerned with large infrastructural projects targeted at "increasing the number of foreigners". He is not Japanese, he is very close to the LDP and he is extremely influential. Practically, most of his wishes become government strategies.

In regards to the above, one of the casino resorts will be in Hokkaido, but not in Sapporo. It will be in the east, within a national park purposely selected as one of the national parks that will be developed to reach international recognition and attract high-end foreign visitors. Everything is linked together and nothing is a coincidence.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Having spent a big chunk of my life in Australia where pokies, casinos, sports betting, racing etc are everywhere

Loosening the restrictions on sports betting, particularly baseball, would bring in much more income than 3 casino resorts.

I’m not a big fan of casino gambling - a bit mindless for me, but each to their own. Just make sure they have separate smoking areas.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

In 2017, about 27 million foreign tourists visited Japan. I wonder how many of them came for gambling, though. To be sure, most tourists visited Japan for sightseeing and taking a dip in Japanese culture, never for gambling.

As the article says, citing experts, most casino visitors would be Japanese, rather than foreign tourists. What's the fuss about lifting the ban on casino then?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Japanese already have a Pachinko addiction, so why not add to the losing streak some casinos under the guise of importing foreign tourists

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Opponents say Japan already has pachinko pinball parlors

Biggest rip offs in these places too.

Casinos provide low paying jobs and are a waste of time.

Just your opinion on the latter.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Opponents say Japan already has pachinko pinball parlors and wagering on horse, auto, bicycle and boat racing, and expanding legalized gambling would fuel organized crime and compound gambling addiction.

cigarette sales promote tobacco addiction but that does not stop them...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

To address concerns about addiction, the law limits local residents to three casino visits per week and 10 per month. Admission will be free for foreigners but a set price for residents in Japan.

this is like only allowing them to buy 3 packs of cigarettes a week.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Correction:

The figure should be about 29 million or more  precesely 28,690,000 rather than about 27 million.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How much tax will it cost for you to get your winnings out of the casino? No mention of this anywhere from what I can see.

And as a foreigner here, just show the passport and get in for free! I couldn't care less about said charges!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Pachinko parlors on sale now!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I’m always seeing Abe pass laws that privatize this or cut taxes on that. Why do people keep voting LDP?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

1) If pachinko is considered the cause of Japanese gambling addiction, and the government cares so much about gambling addiction (which they don't, of course), simply ban and close all pachinko parlors. Addicts will have to quit cold turkey.

2) Seems logical that the way casino entrance security will know who is a resident and who is a visitor will be to require passports, which will have a visitor stamp vs a visa. But if they decide to use the honor system and any photo id is ok, people who still have a valid ID from outside Japan may be able to skirt the fee (unless they use some database system to collect names and send you a bill in the mail after the fact.

3) Guarantee this entrance fee will not apply to Diet members.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Great news! As an adult who doesn't need the nanny state, I am looking forward to some time in the new casinos.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Fantastic news! 3 Integrated Resorts is a great start, and will be a huge boost for jobs and growth in Japan. Every region in Japan will now be fighting to get one of the three licence. I expext Osaka and Tokyo, and the 3rd possibly Sapporo. But I hope Tohoku. It will be a huge boost and cheer up the areas who suffered so much in 2011.

I am really angry at Edano for trying to win political points for trying to stop the Integrated Resorts progress. He wants to stop jobs and growth. Public will never vote for his party.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Great news, this will be an additional boom to the bottom line. We all know Japan's Asian neighbours love to gamble, hence the no restrictions and no admission fees for foreigners.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

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