Japan’s national government is to establish the country’s casino management commission on January 7, 2020, according to reports of an ordinance adopted by the government on Friday.
The casino management commission, an independent agency under Japan’s Cabinet Office, will have five members. Their appointment requires confirmation from the country’s parliament, and they will serve five-year terms, according to the ordinance.
The casino management commission is to be in charge of security matters, probity and background checks. The body will oversee integrated resort (IR) operators in that country, as well as devise measures to counter gambling addiction.
Japan is to allow a maximum of three resorts in a first phase of market liberalisation. The national government has yet to announce the full version of its so-called basic policy on IRs. It issued a draft version in September. The full policy is expected to clarify – among other things – the central authorities’ criteria for selecting what places should be allowed to have a casino resort.
Several prefectural governments and ordinance-designated cities in Japan have already shown interest in hosting an IR. A number of global casino operators has also flagged interest in bidding for a casino licence in Japan.
Japan’s IR Implementation Act, passed in July last year, stipulates that the basic policy for the development of integrated resorts should be put forward within two years. The Japanese government is said to be aiming to announce the IR basic policy early next year, according to media reports.
It was announced in July this year that the Japan Tourism Agency would be responsible for several matters related with the country’s nascent casino industry, including selecting candidate sites to host casino resorts.
