• About Us
  • The Team
  • Advertise with Us

The latest news on the gaming industry in Asia

() () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () ()
  • Home
  • Macau
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Japan
  • Rest of Asia
  • World
  • Features
  • Industry Talk
  • Trends & Tech
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • RSS Feed
    • LinkedIn

Japan’s casino commission to be fair, neutral: chairman

Jan 13, 2020 Newsdesk Japan, Latest News, Top of the deck  


Japan’s casino commission to be fair, neutral: chairman

Japan’s casino management commission will work to balance the potential economic benefits of developing casino resorts in the country with the enforcement of strict regulations, said the commission’s chairman, Michio Kitamura, in a press briefing. Mr Kitamura was speaking on Friday after the first meeting of the commission. The body was formally set up on January 7.

At the closed-door meeting on Friday, the five members of the commission – including its chairman – discussed the rules by which the commission will operate, said Mr Kitamura, a 67-year-old former high prosecutor general of Fukuoka.

During Friday’s meeting, the commission also appointed Takashi Tokunaga as the head of the commission’s secretariat, reported GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent. According to our correspondent, Mr Tokunaga started his career with Japan’s National Police Agency. He was most recently with Japan’s Cabinet Secretariat, overseeing matters related with the legalisation in the country of so-called integrated resorts or “IRs”, as large-scale, multi-use tourism complexes with casinos are known in Japan.

Jiji Press news agency quoted Mr Kitamura as saying: “I plan to supervise our staff at the secretariat so that the commission’s fairness and neutrality will not be questioned.”

At Friday’s news briefing, the commission’s chairman said also that its members would work “with a sense of urgency to build trust with the public over casino business.” He also stressed the commission’s resolve to deal appropriately with casino-related concerns among the public, such as gambling addiction, reported the media outlet.

The commission’s functions include the licensing of gaming at casino resorts: the body is due to define details regarding rules for casino operations. The commission – to be an independent agency under Japan’s Cabinet Office – will also deal with security matters, probity and background checks, inside casinos. It will additionally advise on measures to counter gambling addiction.

Other members of the casino management commission are: Hiroyuki Ujikane, former chief of the National Tax Agency’s Nagoya Regional Taxation Bureau; Michiko Watari, a psychiatrist; Noriko Endo, specially-appointed professor at the graduate school of Keio University; and Tateshi Higuchi, former superintendent general of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

Japan’s national government has vowed to press ahead with IR-related tasks as scheduled, notwithstanding the emerging casino bribery scandal, including allegations against lawmaker Tsukasa Akimoto in relation to claims of casino lobbying by Chinese online gaming firm 500.com Ltd. Several members of Japan’s House of Representatives have been questioned by Japanese authorities – on a voluntary basis – for their alleged receipt of cash.

Despite the national government’s plans, minority opposition parties are expected to submit jointly a bill seeking to abolish the IR Promotion Act, an enabling bill passed in 2016 that legalised casino resorts in that country. The new bill is to be submitted to the regular session of the parliament, scheduled to start on January 20.


  • tweet
Related articles
  • Two-day Japan IR Forum online event begins on Weds
    Two-day Japan IR Forum online event...

    Apr 19, 2021  

  • Body to push benefits of Nagasaki IR debuts in Kyushu
    Body to push benefits of Nagasaki IR...

    Apr 13, 2021  

More news
  • Belle Corp 2020 gaming revenue from CoD Manila dips 79pct
    Belle Corp 2020 gaming revenue from CoD...

    Apr 20, 2021  

  • Japan casino draft rules strict, but evolving: experts
    Japan casino draft rules strict, but...

    Apr 20, 2021  


Latest News

Belle Corp 2020 gaming revenue from CoD Manila dips 79pct

Belle Corp 2020 gaming revenue from CoD Manila dips 79pct

Apr 20, 2021  

Belle Corp’s 2020 income from gaming revenue fell 78.7 percent year-on-year, the firm said in a Tuesday filing to the Philippine Stock Exchange. The group has an interest in the gaming business of...
Read More
Japan casino draft rules strict, but evolving: experts

Japan casino draft rules strict, but evolving: experts

Apr 20, 2021  

Resorts World Las Vegas set to open June 24

Resorts World Las Vegas set to open June 24

Apr 20, 2021  

Macau gaming demand recovering comfortably: analysts

Macau gaming demand recovering comfortably: analysts

Apr 20, 2021  

Sign up to our FREE Newsletter

UB8V5.qr.16(Click here for more)

Pick of the Day


US$4.3 billion

Budget for Genting Bhd's Resorts World Las Vegas, to open June 24



Most Popular

  • Macau 2021 GGR could be half of pre- Covid-19 levels: FitchMacau 2021 GGR could be half of pre- Covid-19 levels: Fitch April 15, 2021
  • NUSTAR complex in Cebu slated to open 2022: UHRINUSTAR complex in Cebu slated to open 2022: UHRI April 16, 2021
  • Macau VIP GGR up 20pct sequentially in 1Q: govtMacau VIP GGR up 20pct sequentially in 1Q: govt April 16, 2021
  • Macau may tie GBA backing to gaming tender: law expertsMacau may tie GBA backing to gaming tender: law experts April 16, 2021
  • Bloomberry Quezon project in 2023, focus on preserving cashBloomberry Quezon project in 2023, focus on preserving cash April 16, 2021
Copyright 2014-2021 TEAM Publishing and Consultancy Ltd / All rights reserved
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Useful Links
  • Contact Us