Japan passes controversial law to allow casinos

TOKYO: Japan on Friday enacted a controversial law to allow casinos that the government says will boost tourism and growth but was bitterly opposed by the opposition.

In a last-ditch attempt to delay the vote on the bill in the upper house, opposition lawmakers called a confidence vote on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet, despite the premier being guaranteed an easy win by his large parliamentary majority.

Japan’s government has long touted the drive for mega "integrated resorts" (IRs) that will include casinos, entertainment venues, restaurants, hotel and conference halls, on the Las Vegas model.

It argues the casinos will bring in tourist and business spending, like other regional gambling destinations in Singapore and Macau, and provide a shot in the arm for a stagnant economy. But legislation has been controversial, including among activists concerned about Japan’s already well-documented problem with gambling addiction.

The law enacted on Friday allows the construction of three IR facilities, and comes after the more powerful lower house approved the same bill in June. "Japanese IRs are not only about casinos," top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters Friday, ahead of the vote. "It is an integrated resort facility that will help increase tourism across Japan," Suga said, adding that the law would help Japan "become a major tourism nation," and boost the economy as a whole. Japan was long the only developed nation banning casinos but passed legislation in 2016 paving the way to legalise the industry.

Public opinion is heavily against the legislation, with 62 percent of voters saying in a survey earlier this month that they opposed it. Just 22 percent were in favour, with 16 percent unsure.