Japan gaming circles were abuzz over the weekend after news emerged that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is expected to formulate a basic policy to legalize casinos in Japan come June. As casino gambling takes centre stage in South East Asia with the Macau boom and the projected billion dollar investment in two casinos in Singapore, Japanese lawmakers have decided that only a change in legislation to alter the Penal Code banning casinos can enable them to make the country more attractive to tourists from abroad and, of course, access more gambling dollars.

The LDP has created a Sub Committee on casinos under the control of the Tourism Committee to study the impact of casinos in the country, and on Saturday a member of the subcommittee asserted that the party should expedite discussions for Japan to lift its ban on gambling establishments following Singapore's change, after a 40 years' ban on casinos, last April and the renewed possibility that Thailand may soon follow suit.

As expected, public objections have come to the fore with the usual concerns about moral issues and public order in the communities where gambling may be permitted, and the effects of gambling on young people. In response to these concerns the party official said that the committee and the party plans to listen to opinions of local government officials, academics and business leaders, and will also discuss the feasibility with the National Police Agency, the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry and the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry.

On the matter of expediency changing the currents laws, the lawmaker said that the subcommittee plans to discuss what gambling houses should be like if they are to be legalized and what to do about the Penal Code banning casinos, before working out an interim report in late April. He concluded that casinos have attracted many tourists in countries that have legalized them, helping to boost the economy and international competition. (E-02.27-06)

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