Japan wants in on casino action

[OTARU/SASEBO]

AGEING and shrinking, Japan's country towns want to gamble away their economic and demographic woes.

With lawmakers planning to submit legislation soon to open Japan to casino gambling, likely in time for the 2020 Olympics, several small cities, hot spring towns and tourist destinations are pushing to get one of the coveted licences.

Japan is one of the world's last untapped gaming markets and, with a wealthy population and proximity to China, could generate US$15 billion annually from casinos, industry experts say. That would make it the world's second-largest gambling destination after Macau.

So far, the cities of Tokyo and Osaka have garnered much of the attention, but even towns like Sasebo, a once-proud shipbuilding centre in southern Japan, and the ageing port city of Otaru to the north, are hoping to …