Deputy Editor
Japanese lawmakers will open a second round of casino licensing, but they won’t approve legal sports betting.
As reported by Yogonet, the Japan Tourism Agency announced another round of casino licensing will begin, opening the possibility of at least one more resort. However, it won’t get underway until May 2027.
Meanwhile, the National Diet (legislature) discussed the ongoing ban on sports betting. The Diet voted unanimously to uphold the ban, and steps will be taken to prevent match-fixing and other forms of fraud.
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Japan already approved one casino following a contentious process. Most forms of gambling have long been banned in Japan, but the Diet approved a bill allowing up to three integrated resorts (IRs) in 2018.
The IRs are aimed mainly at attracting foreigners. Japanese citizens are restricted to three visits per week and 10 per month. Additionally, they must pay 6,000 yen (about $40) for each entrance. The government hoped to curb some problem gambling with these measures.
MGM Osaka was the only IR to gain licensing through the initial process. Construction on the property began earlier this year, but its opening isn’t targeted until the fall of 2030. Wide error bars surround a timeline stretching that far out.
The government approved one IR each in Yokohama and Tokyo as well. However, neither project materialized.
Hokkaido and Nagasaki, on the Northeast and Southwest tips of the country, respectively, are expected to be among the prefectures that explore allowing a casino to be built in the latest round of licensing.
No Legal Sports Betting Coming to Japan
A committee of Japanese Diet members held a meeting, and they agreed that upholding a ban on sports betting was in the best interests of the country.
Japanese sports betting is very restricted, with “publicly run races” the only exceptions allowed by law. Horse racing has become big business in Japan, with several recent Kentucky Derby entrants making the trip, though none have broken through with a win.
Japan has popular pro sports leagues, especially baseball and soccer. However, bettors wagering on these leagues are primarily doing so with offshore entities.
“Ensuring the integrity” of the Japanese sports world was a stated goal of the meeting. To that end, the committee agreed to form a team to monitor and prevent match-fixing and other sports fraud.
Outcome-fixing and the use of inside information in sports have made headlines worldwide in recent months. Turkey is dealing with a massive soccer scandal involving more than 1,000 players and 100 referees. It responded with a blanket bet on gambling ads. In the U.S., MLB pitchers have been indicted for allegedly rigging prop bets. And of course, more than 30 people were indicted in a scheme that included the sharing of inside information on NBA games.
Japanese lawmakers hope they can avoid adding to that laundry list of scandalous headlines with proactive measures.
Image credit: googolnobunaga/Wikimedia Commons (license)
