Japan casino bill finally introduced

ll to legalise casino gambling in Japan has been submitted by lawmakers.

According to Reuters, the bill has been introduced to the Japanese Diet by members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Japan Innovation Party and the Party for Future Generations.

The lawmakers reportedly hope to have the bill passed before July or August, when the current parliamentary session ends, though no official date has been given as to when the matter will be given a hearing or voted on.

The submission of the bill brings an end to a number of delays in the process, as a casino bill, known as the Integrated Resorts (IR) bill, was first introduced to the Japanese Diet in 2013, but lawmakers missed a 30 November deadline to hold a vote on the bill last year.

Another delay ensued when the lawmakers were unable to table the bill by the end of March, following the LDP’s victory in the Japanese general election to remain in office in December, as it had not gained support from Komeito, the LDP’s junior coalition party.

But the bill has now been allowed to be submitted following Komeito’s decision to give its approval to the tabling of the bill.

The passing of a casino law in Japan would be a two-statute process, as following the passing of an IR bill, a second piece of legislation detailing the number of casino licences and locations as well as tax rates would have to be passed.