The on-going saga surrounding Japan’s “will-it-or-won’t-it” stance on casino gambling has taken another turn after the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan tapped the Innovation Group to conduct a comprehensive research study on the proposed legalization of casinos.
The team will be led by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu with the eventual report expected to be used by Japanese legislators as they continue to deliberate the Integrated Resorts (IR) bill, which is expected to be revived in the next Diet session.
Among the issues to be addressed by the study include expert research and advice regarding the implementation of gaming regulations; information about integrated resort development protocol; best practices from similar and competing jurisdictions; background on successful problem gaming programs; detailed approaches to address anti-money laundering; and a summary of economic and fiscal impacts from similar and competing jurisdictions, most notably Macau, South Korea, Singapore, and the Philippines.
Innovation Group International Executive Vice President David Rittvo welcomed the challenge and the chance to work with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, which he describes as being “in the forefront of providing research for both the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Diet.
Chairman Steven Rittvo also chimed in, saying that the government’s decision to commission this report is a positive sign that the Diet plans to discuss the bill more earnestly than it has before.
“The Japanese government has been considering the implementation of integrated casino resorts for a number of years, and much more intensely over the last year,” Rittvo said. “This present project, however, is a milestone since it is the last major effort sponsored by the cabinet.”
