Japan Casino Bill | Is casino illegal in Japan? What about online-casino?

In December 2016, the Integrated Resort (IR) Development Promotion Bill, known as the “Casino Bill” was passed. This bill has been attracting attention as the casino has been lifted in Japan, where casinos have been illegal for a long time, but there are still many oppositions due to concerns about gambling addiction and security.

What will happen to Japanese gambling after the casino bill has been enacted? When and where can Japan’s first casino be made? I will thoroughly explain the points to worry about.

What is Japan Casino Bill?

The casino bill (Integrated Resort (IR) Development Promotion Bill) is called the “Law on Promotion of Development of Specified Complex Tourism Facilities Area”.

It’s often misunderstood because it’s called a casino bill, but it’s not just a law to make a casino.

For the purposes of the casino bill, the government states:

（目的）第一条　この法律は、特定複合観光施設区域の整備の推進が、観光及び地域経済の振興に寄与するとともに、財政の改善に資するものであることに鑑み、特定複合観光施設区域の整備の推進に関する基本理念及び基本方針その他の基本となる事項を定めるとともに、特定複合観光施設区域整備推進本部を設置することにより、これを総合的かつ集中的に行うことを目的とする。

（基本理念） 第三条　特定複合観光施設区域の整備の推進は、地域の創意工夫及び民間の活力を生かした国際競争力の高い魅力ある滞在型観光を実現し、地域経済の振興に寄与するとともに、適切な国の監視及び管理の下で運営される健全なカジノ施設の収益が社会に還元されることを基本として行われるものとする。

（※”特定複合観光施設区域の整備の推進に関する法律案”より一部引用）

Translation

(Purpose) Article 1 This law is based on the fact that the promotion of the development of a specified complex tourism facility area contributes to the promotion of tourism and the local economy and contributes to the improvement of finances. The basic philosophy and basic policy regarding promotion of maintenance and other basic matters are established, and the purpose is to comprehensively and intensively establish a specific complex tourism facility area maintenance promotion headquarters.

(Basic philosophy) Article 3 Promoting the development of specific complex tourism facility areas will contribute to the promotion of the local economy by realizing attractive stay-type tourism with high international competitiveness utilizing local creativity and the vitality of the private sector At the same time, it shall be based on the return of profits from healthy casino facilities operated under appropriate national monitoring and control to society.

Since it is mainly called a casino bill, it is often considered as a law for banning casinos, but the purpose is to collect tourists, and the means to collect tourists is casino facilities. It is an IR (integrated resort) that includes.

What is IR?

Then, what kind of facility is this integrated resort (IR)? In addition to casinos, hotels, theatres, movie theaters, amusement parks, shopping malls, restaurants, sports facilities, spa baths, international conference halls, It is a complex tourist attraction facility that includes so-called MICE facilities such as exhibition facilities in one section.

Since the image of the casino tends to precede, some people may imagine a place where adults who like gambling gather, but in reality, there are various facilities where adults and children can enjoy, both young and old. It’s a resort.

News about Japan Casino Bill

On March 26, 2019, a cabinet decision was made on the enforcement order of the IR Development Act, which stipulates requirements for integrated resorts (IR), including up to 3% of the total area of the casino.

The IR that will be constructed will require the installation of a huge hotel and an international conference hall/exhibition hall with a total area of 100,000 square meters or more (about one Tokyo Dome). It is additional to the condition.

Such a large hotel is an unprecedented scale in Japan, but the reason for including the size of the facility as a condition is that we are referring to the IR situation overseas such as Singapore, Las Vegas, Macau that we have investigated so far It is.

Local governments that have started to attract companies must promote cooperation with various overseas operators, while the question “Can large investments be possible?” It will also be a factor in selecting partners.

When will casinos be open in Japan?

Now that we have somehow understood the casino bill (IR bill), the next thing we are interested in is “when can a casino be made in Japan?”

There are various opinions about this, but the initial assumption “By 2020 when the Tokyo Olympics will be held…” has already been abandoned, and it is expected that it will be around 2025 at the present.

As for the current progress, since the IR implementation bill was officially passed (established) in July 2018, it has already entered into legal development and selection of candidate sites.

Depending on future trends, We predict that it will be settled around 2021 to 2022 after the Tokyo Olympics.

Foreign Casino can open casino in Japan?

Yes. Also, as Japan is known for its “hospitality”, it is also attracting attention from overseas business as it has a mind to pursue a good customer experience.

• MGM (USA)
• Las Vegas Sands (USA)
• Hard Rock Cafe (USA)
• Casino Austria International (Europe)
• Mercury Resorts & Entertainment (Hong Kong)
• Galaxy Entertainment Group (Macau)

Such people are announcing that they are considering entering or investing in Nippon Casino. The following is a part but check here if you want to know more.

Is Online-Casino legal in Japan?

Now that the casino bill has been passed, I’m the only one who thought that online casinos would be legal. Unfortunately, this law does not mention anything about online casinos.

As the official name of this law is not “Casino Bill”, but it is only to allow construction of “specific complex tourist facilities”, that is, facilities that include casinos, online casinos are not subject to this law. In addition, as mentioned above, even if a casino is legalized, the act of betting on the casino is limited to the three casinos recognized by the country, so it does not mean that the casino can be enjoyed everywhere.

In addition, since foreign tourists gamble a lot in Japan, the intent to improve Japan’s finances is fundamental, so as you can see from the many admission restrictions imposed on Japanese, the government is Japanese It does not seem to be in favor of gambling.

The IR Promotion Meeting Summary (Overview) states that “online casinos are prohibited”.

In addition, the summary of the specified complex tourism facility area development promotion meeting is not an online casino, there is a description that online games that can be participated from outside the facility are not allowed.

There are a lot of people who think “Online Casino in Japan is illegal”, But the online casino here has a different meaning from the online casino we play.

Online casino prohibition in this context means that casino facilities of casino operators (IR operators) who have received a Japanese casino license are limited to real casinos, and are prohibited from developing businesses in online casinos using the Internet. Meaning. It does not regulate the online casinos we play, but the regulations for Japanese IR operators who will be licensed.

Summary

Casino bill, integrated resort bill, IR bill. These words that you often hear on TV have the same meaning, and at this stage, they are selecting candidate sites and developing laws.

There are still many anxiety factors, but I still want to look forward to the future of Japan.

Online casinos are more convenient than in-store casinos because there are no admission fees or admission restrictions and credit card payments are possible. Betting at online casinos based in Japan has not been legalized, so stay safe and avoid troubles in the future.