Local news outlet the Japan Times reported that the rules would apply to Japanese nationals and foreigners living in Japan, while international tourists would be exempt. The authorities would monitor casino visitation by requiring local residents to present their government-issued My Number identity cards to gain access to the casino floor.
The government also wants to cap the maximum area of any integrated resort’s gaming floor at 15,000 square-meters or a maximum 3% of the resort’s total footprint. This restriction mimics the maximum area allotted to Singapore’s two integrated resorts, which Japan’s legislators have long cited as a model for their own plans.
A report prepared for the government last year recommended a raft of other restrictions, including a Singapore-style entry levy for local residents, barring ATMs on the casino floor and a prohibition on purchasing gaming chips with credit cards.
The government previously voted to amend Japan’s constitution to permit casino gambling, and must now approve a so-called Integrated Resorts (IR) Implementation Bill that would codify how casinos are to be licensed, regulated and taxed. But for now, the government is focused on passing legislation to deal with the potential social harms of casino gambling.
Source: GMB / Calvin Ayre
