On March 25, the cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved regulations governing the casinos, conference halls and other amenities to be included inside the country’s first three integrated resorts.
Speaking to government officials before the legislation’s passage, Abe said he wanted resorts of “unprecedentedly large scale and high quality”—and it looks like he’ll get them.
According to the Kyodo News Agency, the regulations call for hotels that are “far larger” than any that currently exist in the country, with some 2,000 guest rooms accounting for at least 100,000 square meters (more than 1 million square feet). The IRs must also offer convention facilities big enough for 3,000 guests, and an adjoining 60,000-square-meter (645,000-square-foot) exhibition space.
When it comes to the casino, however, smaller is better; according to the regulations, the gaming floor may comprise no more than 3 percent of a resort’s total square footage.
In other rules, the casinos may only advertise at points of entry for foreigners, i.e., international airports or seaports, reported the Jiji Press. And each IR must be representative of Japanese culture and augment tourism in its immediate vicinity. In addition, according to Bloomberg News, casino operators must report any transactions of JPY1 million (US$9,000) or more in cash.
GGRAsia reported that details of the selection criteria for IR locations should be announced in August. Kyodo recently reported that, of the 47 prefectures and 20 major cities eligible to host an IR, only three plan to make application: Osaka, Wakayama and Nagasaki.
AGBNippon.com reports that an anti-casino citizens’ group has formed in Nagasaki. The Stop Casinos! Citizens Prefectural Network, which now has about 80 members, bases its opposition on concerns about the potential negative social impact of legal gambling.
But Abe says casinos will make Japan “an advanced country for tourism. We are hoping for a scale and quality not achieved before in long-stay tourism to attract tourists from all over the world. We are working hard to establish a Casino Administration Committee and establish basic policies in the future as we move toward realizing our dream of being a key tourist destination.”
