Casinos face last milestone in Japan on road to legalisation

Tokyo

JAPANESE lawmakers are expected to pass a casino Bill that is the final hurdle for the legalisation of gaming resorts, bringing international operators a step closer to a market that could be worth as much as US$25 billion.

The Upper House of the Japanese parliament is set to vote on the casino implementation bill before the current session ends on Sunday.

The legislation would establish important parameters for the industry that have been the subject of heated debate in Japan, including limitations to curb problem gambling and the number of locations that will receive initial licences.

Western operators like MGM Resorts International and Las Vegas Sands Corp have pledged to spend as much as US$10 billion to tap the island nation's potential for mass gaming.

Yet legalisation won't send the companies racing to make formal proposals for resorts.

Operators must still await steps such as the creation of a national regulatory body and decisions relating to possible destinations for integrated resorts.

"There are many, many steps that need to be taken before construction takes place, and one of the first ones would be for the casino control commission to be established, funded and have a public comment process on it," said Jay Defibaugh, an analyst at CLSA. "Adding the legal meat around the bones of the implementation law, that takes years."

These are some key elements of the implementation Bill that will be voted on and were already passed by the lower house:

The national government will then give the final approval and issue casino licences.

Casino resorts are not projected to open until 2023 at the earliest. BLOOMBERG