Japanese government present gambling bill

The Japanese ruling party have now presented the land based gambling bill to parliament for voting on approval, it is still not clear if their coalition party members will support the bill which is needed before it can go to the upper house to be made into law, as they are requesting a longer consultation period for the impact of gambling in the country.

However the bill was jointly submitted with the Japan Restoration Party and other groups, Hiroyuki Hosoda, the chairman of a cross-party group of pro-casino lawmakers, said yesterday. LDP’s junior coalition partner New Komeito has approved the submission, LDP’s policy chief Sanae Takaichi said.

The parties aim to pass the bill in the next Diet session that begins in January, said Hosoda, who is also an executive acting LDP secretary-general.

Analysts estimate the Japanese gambling market to be worth $10 billion a year in revenues.

“I think the bill will definitely pass,” said Kazuaki Sasaki, assistant professor at Nihon University College of Economics. “The LDP is supporting the bill and even for those parties that are against the bill, I don’t think they will put restrictions on each member’s vote.”