Japan casino plan likely to be delayed again

Tokyo

JAPAN'S plan to legalise casino gambling is likely to be delayed yet again, a senior official said, dealing a new blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a setback to operators anxious for the launch of Asia's next big gambling market.

Las Vegas Sands, Genting Singapore, MGM Resorts and others are waiting in the wings as potential investors in what analysts say is one of the world's biggest untapped markets, worth tens of billions of dollars a year.

But parliament is unlikely to have enough time to pass the controversial law during the current session, which ends on Nov 30, the coalition official said. "The hurdle is quite high for both lower and upper houses …