The Land of the Rising Sun is initiating a public discourse concerning new regulations for integrated resorts, encompassing the nation’s inaugural casinos. Citizens have until October 3rd to express their opinions on how to manage these gambling establishments.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism commenced this dialogue today (September 3rd). They are seeking public input on the novel regulations that the Japanese government sanctioned in March. The government intends to grant licenses to three such resorts.
These regulations stipulate that the resorts must feature hotels, conference facilities, and exhibition spaces. Gambling zones are limited to a mere 3% of the total area. Each resort is also required to offer amenities such as theaters, concert halls, cinemas, museums, and restaurants.
Entry to the gambling areas is free of charge, but Japanese residents are subject to a 6,000 yen entrance fee. Individuals under the age of 20 are prohibited from gambling.
To construct a gambling establishment, integrated resort operators must first secure a casino operating permit. This is followed by obtaining a casino facility service license to oversee the venue’s operations. To acquire these licenses, applicants must submit a thorough business strategy for the facility, which must be endorsed by the National Casino Management Committee, the national gambling regulatory body.
The county where the proposed facility is situated will also have a role in the issuance of permits. As part of the construction process, integrated resort operators will be obligated to consult with local residents during the resort development phase.
They must also formulate a plan to guarantee that the county benefits from tourism or investment returns, which will be evaluated during the selection process.
Furthermore, measures must be implemented to mitigate the potential negative effects of gambling, such as addiction, as well as measures for youth protection and crime prevention intervention.
The project is part of Japan’s endeavor to boost tourism, aiming to attract 60 million visitors to Japan by 2030, generating 15 trillion yen in revenue. The initial facilities are anticipated to open in 2025 following the Japanese Diet’s passage of the Integrated Resort Act in July 2018.
Discussions on the regulations were initially expected to commence shortly after the Abe cabinet approved the regulations in March, with the Casino Management Committee to be established in July.
The governing body for the fresh Japanese gaming establishment remains unselected.
However, a collection of prominent gaming enterprises are eager to participate. MGM, Hard Rock, Las Vegas Sands, Wynn, and Mohegan are all in contention. Caesars opted to abstain.
Reports suggest the casino will require an investment exceeding $10 billion. MGM envisions its location in Osaka, while Las Vegas Sands and Wynn are contemplating Tokyo or Yokohama.
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