Legalized Gambling In Japan

4/9/2022by admin

Legalizing Gambling In Japan
Japan Legalized Gambling
Legalized Gambling In Japan

Most forms of gambling in Japan are generally banned by the Criminal Code chapter 23; however, there are several exceptions, including betting on horse racing and certain motor sports. Japan has been debating whether to legalize casinos since at least 1999. A bill similar to the one passed on Thursday made progress in Parliament two years ago but never made it to a vote.

After Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Tokyo’s parliament body authorized the building of integrated resorts which is to include casinos two years ago the decision was met with mixed views from the Japanese citizens. The thought process behind the idea was to improve tourism and to help improve the countries economy.

Casino prohibition dates to 1880 and was based on the traditional Japanese values of hard work and duty. The laws are so strict that even Japanese cruise ships are not allowed to operate casinos even whilst in international waters. Lotteries and betting on boat, horse and bicycle racing are already legal in Japan and the industry turn over equates to around five trillion yen per year. Other illegal gambling is largely run by the Yakuza, Japans version of the mafia. The Gambling market within Asia is largely made up by Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore and Japan are looking for a slice of the action. Bookmakers are really excited as japan aiming to open the casinos by 2025 and locations such as Nagasaki, Osaka, Wakayama and Tokyo have all been suggested but as of, yet nothing has been confirmed. The national government will select the locations based on recommendations from local authorities. The blueprint was to be provided by US gaming and bookmaker giants such as Las Vegas Sands and MGM Resorts. However, since then we have found out that Las Vegas Sands have now pulled out of a deal due to the economic decline damaged by Covid-19.

The Pros and Cons

The biggest benefits of creating casinos for the government and the economy are that it creates jobs and it also offers tax revenues. However, many of the Japanese citizens have argued that crime rate and problem gambling resulting in debt and mental health issues will rise.

However, the Japanese government have stuck to the positive facts that countries that have casinos have around eight percent higher employment rate than those without and it does appear to drive wages higher in those countries also. If we also look at the tax benefits although legalized gambling provides a very small proportion of tax receipts it can help parliament to avoid spending cuts or increasing other taxes. The Daiwa Institute of Research states that the casinos could generate nearly two billion dollars per year which would have a major positive impact on the economy. Others would argue that it could also have a negative effect if problem gambling where to arise rapidly. A study in Australia shows that the social cost of gambling in Victoria almost matches the revenue and tax that it generates. On the other hand, research also shows that whilst problem gambling does increase for a short period of time initially this does level off over time. There has been safeguards put in place to prevent such problems also by limiting the number of times Japanese citizens can visit a casino as well as a high entrance fee. There is no entrance fee for foreigners as the idea is to help with tourism as they try to double the number of tourists to around twenty million per year. In 2019 the Japanese government also announced an action plan for ‘The Addictions of Gambling and so forth’. This was to show that the government was trying to minimize gambling problems and to win the Japanese public around. There is also a notion that Casinos help boost local retail sales by attracting visitors from outside the local area. Although this case has also been argued that if the majority of the casinos clientele is locals then it will have a negative impact as they will be spending there time and money in the casino rather than the local shops. However as previously mentioned the idea of the resorts is to lure tourists in, in which case would mean that it would drive retail sales up. Although again on the flip side of this if the casinos are based within resorts it is likely that they will have restaurants and shops and that the tourists will not actually need to use the local facilities.

The Conclusion

To summarize whether you are for or against the idea of legalizing casinos in Japan it is certainly an exciting time to see how things develop and play out. It has been a long and painful slog to get things to where they are today and were sure that there will be plenty more twists and turns to come in the coming days, weeks, months and even years.

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Published Thursday, Sep. 3, 2020, 9:18 am

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By Takuma Tanaka

If you are a resident of Japan, chances are you know that gambling is not legal in the country. However, the question remains. Should we strive to get gambling legalized in Japan? What would be the pros and cons of doing this? What steps can the government take to ensure that its citizens will be able to get the major entertainment value that gambling can provide?

If you want to find out the answers to these questions, read this article as soon as possible. We will try to give you some of the most pertinent information about gambling in Japan and how it is continually progressing at present.

Gambling in Japan: The History

Officially speaking, gambling in this part of the world is still considered legal and has been considered illegal since 1907. By the end of the Meiji era, many official casinos have popped up in this side of the world. In particular, these casinos reside in Tokyo and outside of the city.

Fast forward to 2016, the Japanese government and prime minister Shinzo Abe has passed a law that could turn the tide and make them illegal in the future. Japanese residents and other tourists who are fond of gambling would have to wait until at least nine years in 2025 before the law takes effect in full.

This year small gambling associations have already started to penetrate the Japanese economy. Some speculate that more Japanese casinos will open before the 2020 Olympics which can accommodate the influx of tourists that will come for the games.

Legal Gambling Games in Japan

As of press time, there are some legal gambling games that have already started to gain traction in popularity within the country as the integrated resort industry grows. These are as follows:

The Lottery Games

With this particular type of game, you can expect a much greater chance of winning. All you have to do is buy a lottery ticket from any participating store and scratch the surface. When it reveals similar characters in one row or column, you’ll win the prize.

Pachinko

Essentially, this particular type of game works like a slot machine. Instead of waiting for cash prizes, you will get to win gift certificates and vouchers that you can use to get products from participating retail stores around the metro. This is essentially done to circumvent the strict Japanese laws against gambling.

Racing Games

This is one of the most lawful ways to gamble in Japan. Whether you prefer a horse racing event or bicycle and car races, you can place your bets and hope to win any of these contests. Tourism and tax can promote these games. The good thing about this is that you don’t have to worry about the police getting in your tail because of participation.

All you have to do is place your bet enjoy the game.

Exploring the Online Gambling Industry in Japan

In terms of online gaming, this is where the line blurs. Japanese laws have strict rules against physical gambling institutions. However, online games of any nature are complete and legal in the country. Perhaps this is because the introduction of mobile gaming technology in Japan came in quite late.

The good news is that you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to enjoy them. If you are fond of online gambling, there are many websites that can accommodate players from Japan and other countries as well. You just have to do a little bit of research to find them.

A great examples of online gaming portals that you can visit for entertainment you can find thanks to reviews on bitcoin casino. One advantage you can have with bitcoin casinos is that it is safe and secure to use. You wouldn’t have to think about being hacked once you login and play.

As traveling to Japan can be quite enjoyable, chances are you won’t even want to sit around in front of your computer to play in an online casino anyway. You would want to explore anything and everything that you would like to see in the country before you leave.

Legalizing Gambling In Japan

The Main Reason for Legalization

Gambling both in physical and online casinos can definitely give players a way to relax and properly enjoy themselves without any inhibitions. It provides entertainment and the diversion of retired professionals who may want to have some time to themselves after a hard day’s work.

Why should we consider legalizing gambling as a whole? Isn’t there another way to pass the time without having to spend too much money? Yes, there is. However, as part of the social and economic freedoms that can be afforded to any citizen by its government, the governing entity shouldn’t dictate how people get to spend their own hard-earned cash.

Conclusion

This is why gambling should already be legalized in Japan as soon as possible. It will not only be good for the people in terms of entertainment, it can also be good for the economy because many tourists will be able to travel to Japan and enjoy themselves while still allowing the Japanese government to make a sizable amount of revenue from any and all casinos that may pop up once gambling becomes legal in the country.

Once the Japanese government realizes the benefits of gambling, they will certainly be able to provide a safe and secure environment for those interested individuals to play in. Fortunately, gambling is already slowly being introduced in Japanese mainstream media. It’s only a matter of time before everything falls into place for legalization.

Japan Legalized Gambling

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