A “time limit” on visits to Japanese casinos by locals was among the main talking points of the second public hearing by the Japanese government to explain its integrated resorts policies, this time held in Osaka.
Osaka is considered a leading candidate to be awarded an IR license should the IR Implementation Bill currently under review be passed by the Diet in the coming months, with Governor Ichiro Matsui having publicly declared his support as a means of boosting tourism to the region. Osaka’s Yumeshima Island was also singled out as the perfect location for an “Osaka Strip” of integrated resorts in a special White Paper released by consultancy firm Global Market Advisors in May.
But convincing a sceptical public of the benefits of an IR is looking increasingly difficult with Friday’s public hearing revealing doubts over whether proposed measures, including an entry fee for locals, would be effective.
“By placing limits on the number of times Japanese people can visit, it might be possible to exclude gambling addicts or those who appear to be addicts, but that could lead them to turn to illegal gambling,” said local representative Takayuki Miyake according to The Japan Times. “An organization needs to be established by specialists that can decide on a system for limiting entrance (and) work must be done to create a policy that helps people overcome their gambling problems.”
One solution, according to lawyer Tetsunari Yoshida, might be to limit length of time locals are allowed to spend inside the casino each visit. It follows a recent recommendation by the Expert Committee into Japan IRs that restrictions be placed on the number visits locals are allowed to make in any given period.
“The panel has proposed limiting the number of times Japanese people can enter the casinos on a given day or during any given week, but that could simply encourage people to spend longer periods of time in the casino. A limit should also be placed on how long people are allowed to stay in the casino on any given visit,” Yoshida said.
A recent poll conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun found that 71% of people in the Kinki region where Osaka is located are opposed to the construction of IRs.
However, not everyone is against the idea with Kansai Association of Corporate Executives, a local business group, even calling for a proposed 15,000 square meter limit on integrated resorts to be scrapped in favor of a cap on the percentage of floor space that can be used for casino services.
An Osaka IR is also seen as a perfect partner to the city’s bid to host the 2025 World Expo, set to be awarded in November 2018.
According to urban design research institute representative Takako Igaki, “The theme of Osaka’s 2025 Expo bid is designing future society for our lives and if an integrated resort can be aligned with that theme, the resort would become a one-of-a-kind, only-in-Japan type of resort.”
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