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Asia Minute: Japan Delays Casino Gambling Bill

Images Money / Flickr
Images Money / Flickr

It’s been less than a week since that record Powerball lottery drawing resulted in three winning tickets. While some form of lottery or other gambling proposal often comes up in Hawaii’s legislative session, it’s another story for a different set of lawmakers considering a similar move. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

It’s going to be a little while longer before lawmakers in Japan talk formally about legalizing casino gambling. Jiji News reports the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is not going to try and pass a bill on the topic during the current session of the Japanese parliament, or Diet.  The LDP’s coalition partner Komeito opposes casino gambling, and the LDP doesn’t want to alienate its political partner before legislative elections this summer.  Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to legalize casino gambling in Japan…and have the law in place well before Tokyo hosts the Olympic games in the year 20-20.

On Monday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary told reporters casino gambling would “be a big boost for tourism and regional economies.”  Legalized gambling in various forms has been a topic in Japan for years.  There’s a national lottery, and it’s legal to be on horse races, bicycle races and speedboat races…but no casinos.  The brokerage CLSA has estimated the potential gambling market in Japan could be six times the size of the Las Vegas strip.  And that’s attracted attention—and proposals from MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts and Caesar’s Entertainment…basically every major gaming company in the United States.

Bill Dorman has been the news director at Hawaiʻi Public Radio since 2011.
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