Japan will start building its first land-based casino in 2021 in Yokohama after the country recently legalized gambling. However, don’t celebrate too soon as online gambling sites will remain illegal in Japan. If travelling to Japan to gambe is too far try your luck online at Cookie Casino.
Hashiro Okonogi, the representative of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan and chairman of the Gambling Commission, said the opening of the first Integrated Resorts casino complex in Japan does not influence Japan’s view on online betting.
While speaking on national television, Oknogi answered questions from rival politicians on how to deal with the increase in gambling during the pandemic.
Okonogi said that online gambling operators are not allowed to operate in Japan, so during lockdowns, Japanese citizens will not be able to succumb to obsessive online gambling habits seen in other countries.
Okonogi said that the laws that were altered to allow the construction of casinos in Japan were independent of those restricting online gambling. He said that if online gambling is to be legalized in Japan, those specific laws need to be altered. Okonogi said that currently, online betting laws are not being reviewed.
How Much Will Japan’s New Casino In Yokohama Cost?
Japan’s new casino in Yokohama is expected to cost over $3.4 billion. The city council is willing to heavily invest in the project and has included the cost of the casino into their 2021 budget.
The proposed casino must include both a hotel and gaming facilities. The gaming facilities can make up a maximum of 3% of the resort’s floor area. The casino must also have relaxation areas and aesthetic outdoor gardens. The Japanese officials want the casino to have a high-class atmosphere where adults can freely gather.
The Yokohama government believes that the casino can help Japan by increasing its annual visitors by 60 million by 2030 and believes the casino is capable of injecting $14.5 billion into the economy annually.
The Yokohama government has not selected a company to head the project. They are currently accepting pitches from all the most prominent casino operators in the world who are eager to tap into the newly opened Japanese market.
Some of the favourites to win the contract are Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd, Genting Singapore Ltd, Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd, Sega Sammy Holdings Inc and Shotoku Corp. These companies operate casinos around the world, including in nearby Macau and Singapore.
The famed Las Vegas operators Las Vegas Sands Corp attempted to win the deal; however, the recently passed CEO Sheldon Adelson said he was withdrawing Sands’ bid after being unable to reach an economically beneficial agreement with the Japanese government. He said he still believed that Japan was a great gambling market.