Japan has been considering the legalization of gambling for a few years. Recently, there has been a more active debate between the Government and gambling experts. The Japanese Parliament is going to look through a draft bill for legalizing gambling. The meeting will be held on September 29.
However, the Japanese Federation of Bar Associations must gather enough research data to offer to the Parliament, in order to provide factual evidence of the consequences and risks gambling causes. That is why it sent experts to collect data in Singapore, where the government had success with its current legislation model and the established integrated resorts. The study will exclusively focus on prevention and control of community fallout caused by gambling.
The Japanese Prime Minister himself sent experts in Singapore to inspect Singaporean casinos earlier this year. The plans of the minister are to establish integrated resorts in Japan, in order to enhance the country’s economy. These plans are part of the overall strategy to attract more tourists annually before the beginning of the 2020 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Tokyo.
Gambling in Singapore
Singapore legalized gambling in 2005. It is important to note that the only legalized types of gambling are par-mutual services and horse racing. The places where gambling is allowed are called integrated resorts (IR) and are named Sands Casino Singapore and Singapore Marina Bay. The establishment of those casinos is part of the Government’s long-term strategy to improve tourism and economic growth.
The gambling in Singapore is strictly monitored and regulated, due to the negative opinion of the public.
The Japanese public is expressing their major concerns on the negative effects that gambling causes. The Japanese government posted a month-old study that stated that 5% of Japanese adults are addicted to some type of gambling, which is five times higher than in other countries.
Currently, gambling is illegal in the country apart from horse races, boat races and cycling tournaments.
The JFBA has over 35,000 lawyers as members and has combined its efforts to fight the gambling bill. Mr. Niisato, a spokesperson for the association, said that there are two worrying signs which will be presented in the findings of the association. The first symptom that worries the experts is the increase in exclusion orders that happens in Singapore.
The number of people barred from integrated resorts has multiplied four times for the past three years. The second negative symptom is the increase in people contacting the National Problem Gambling Helpline which has also quadrupled for the last five years. The Samaritans of Singapore have added to those statistics by stating that there has been a doubling of gambling-addiction related calls since the opening of the gambling resorts.
The association’s research team spent three days in Singapore, visiting support groups for addicted gamblers, as well as some of the gambling resorts in the republic. If the bill passes, lawyers from the association hope that sizable taxes and fines will safeguard the Japanese citizens.
