-
Casinos for you
Japan to Introduce 9 New Games in Draft Casino Regulations
By Jeff Osienya Apr 12, 2021 LegalityJapan is gradually realizing its dream to become a future gambling mecca of the East. The country’s gaming regulator has tabled a selection of new laws that propose introduction of 21 variants of casino games to the legal gaming slate.While the progress is seemingly super slow, Japan is drawing closer to the launch of an expanded gaming market. The Japan Casino Regulatory Commission which was established on January 7th, 2020 has opened doors for public feedback on nine new casino games that plan to be approved for the soon-to-be-constructed Integrated Resort (IR) gaming facilities. The nine games contained in the draft regulations of the recently formed gaming watchdog are listed as 21 games variants and they are:
- Poker (8 types)
- Blackjack (4 types)
- Baccarat (2 types)
- Sic Bo
- Casino War
- Craps
- Money Wheel
- Pai Gow
- Electronic Games.
The public participation period for an opinion about the new list of games began last week, and locals have been given until May 9th to share their input. When the window closes, the gaming ombudsman will then go ahead and publish the final casino regulations.
Background Checks and Responsible Gambling Measures
The new set of games aside, the new regulations stipulate performing background checks on all the executives and principal investors in the casino and IR business to enforce socially credible operations in the gaming market. Some of the background checks will include thorough investigations on both financial and criminal records of the parties involved and checking whether they are linked to organized crime in any way.
The provisional gambling laws also propose that a clock showing the current time must also be visibly displayed to all the patrons present in the gaming lobbies to ensure that they are aware of the time. ATMs will also be banned on casino floors and incentive programs such as casino comps and other triggering reward systems won’t be allowed. On that matter, the draft regulations state that: “Nothing that could potentially arouse the passion for gambling may be included,” according to a report by Inside Asia Gaming.
Additionally, to keep compulsive gambling at bay, the draft regulations recommend the banning of casino players who show signs of addiction for at least twelve months and after that, the number of visits to a casino for the users in question is then limited each month. It shall also be mandatory for casino operators to set up a problem gambling consultation desk on the premises, for players who may be feeling vulnerable to the dark side of gambling.
Which Forms of Gambling Are Currently Legal in Japan?
As we speak, the only forms of gambling allowed in the country are lotteries and parimutuel betting on four public sports namely horse racing, powerboat racing, bicycle racing, and asphalt speedway motor racing.
The other type of gambling allowed in Japan is Pachinko, a fast-paced game that sort of combines a slot machine and pinball in one fascinating arrangement. Interestingly, the Japanese government doesn’t officially consider this as gambling. Instead, Pachinko is regarded as a heritage game for historical, cultural, and of course, monetary reasons. Other traditional Japanese games that are allowed
All other forms of gambling in the country are generally prohibited by the Criminal Code Chapter 23 of Japan’s law.
You might also like