Japanese PM favours casino resorts

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on a recent visit to Singapore said that casinos in his country would a pillar of his country’s future economic growth

The Prime Minister was visiting Singapore’s casino resorts on a fact finding mission to see which resorts would suit Japan.

“I think integrated resorts will be a key part of Japan’s economic growth strategy,” he said to Japanese reporters.

It is the first time Mr Abe has come out publicly in support of casinos in Japan which many regional observers believe would if legalised become the third largest gambling zone in the world with a population of 128 million.

On his visit the Premier went to Marina Bay Sands, a three-tower resort on the Singapore waterfront owned by U.S. billionaire Sheldon Adelson and then on to Resorts World on Sentosa island, owned by Genting.

Although a casino bill was hoped to be passed in the current session on the Japanese parliament delays have now pushed it back into the Autumn session with many lawmakers supporting the bill it is expected to be passed before the end of 2014.

One observer said that if there was any more delays to the gambling bill that pushed it into 2015 the possibility of any chosen casino operators building the casino resorts in time for the 2020 Olympic games being held in Tokyo would be seriously jeopardised.