Author and gaming expert Daniel Cheng examines exactly how Japan has arrived at its current casino crossroads.
It feels like a distant memory that the Japanese government approved its first casino resort more than 30 months ago. MGM Osaka held its groundbreaking ceremony only a few months back, co-inciding with the start of the Osaka World Expo, located adjacent to the resort on the reclaimed island of Yumeshima. Yet it will still be several years before anyone drops a coin into a slot machine in Japan’s inaugural casino, now slated to open in the fall of 2030.
By comparison, Genting had already opened its Singapore casino within that same 30-plus-month timeframe after being awarded its licence. That striking disparity underscores the enormous hurdles and political complexities that have plagued casino legalisation in Japan.
Read the full article in the December issue of InterGaming
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