Japan Casino Regulatory Commission appoints new Secretary General
Toshiyuki Shimada will step into the role on 1 July, moving on from his deputy position.
Key points:
– Toshiyuki Shimada has been appointed as the new Secretary General of Japan’s Casino Regulatory Commission
– Shimada moves on from his previous role as Deputy Secretary General
– This latest update comes amidst a recent burst of gambling-related news from the nation
Japan’s Casino Regulatory Commission has announced, via the nation’s Government, the appointment of Toshiyuki Shimada as its new Secretary General.
This appointment sees Shimada move up from his previous post as Deputy Secretary General of the commission, taking over from Takyua Sakaguchi – who will see his two-year tenure in the Secretary General position come to an end. Further, prior to joining the regulator, Shimada worked for the nation’s Ministry of Finance.
As per Japan’s legal framework, five particular members of the commission’s senior executive team – including Secretary General – must be nominated by Parliament. Typically, commission members serve terms on a five-year rotation. Indeed, Japan’s cabinet unveiled a proposed budget of JPY3.71bn ($25.6m) for the commission this year, following the appointment of a new Chair of the regulatory body – Takafumi Sato – in January.
Contextually, Japan’s gambling market has seen a flurry of recent activity which began in May with the announcement that the nation would be tightening its online casino regulations following the news that illegal bets had reached JPY1trn.
Good to know: Currently, Japan’s Casino Regulatory Commission regulates online casino as well as the nation’s only legal land-based casino resort, MGM Osaka
Following on from the Government’s announcement that it intended to tighten laws around iGaming, a new online casino bill was passed earlier this month by Japan’s House of Representatives, introduced with a view to reducing gambling-related harms.
Most recently, last week, an additional bill aimed at tackling illegal online gambling was also passed in parliament, with aims to curb addiction, debt and AML-related risks.
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