Japanese lawmakers will open a second round of casino licensing, yet they won’t approve legal sports betting.
Yogonet reported that the Japan Tourism Agency announced another round of casino licensing will start, opening the possibility of at least one more resort. Nonetheless, it won’t get underway until May 2027.
For the meantime, the National Diet or legislature discussed the ongoing restriction on sports betting. The Diet unanimously voted to uphold the restriction and will take steps to stop match-fixing and other forms of fraud.
Following a contentious process, Japan already approved one casino. Japan has long restricted most forms of gambling. Nevertheless, the Diet approved a bill letting up to three IRS or integrated resorts in 2018.
Authorities mainly target the IRs to attract foreigners and limit Japanese citizens to three visits per week and ten per month. Moreover, they should pay 6,000 yen or about $40 for each sentence. The government hoped to curb some problem gambling with these measures.
MGM Osaka was the only IR to get licensing by the initial process. Construction on the property started in early 2025, and developers plan to open it in the fall of 2030. Wide error bars surround a timeline stretching that far out.
The government also approved one IR each in Yokohama and Tokyo. Nonetheless, neither project materialized.
Authorities expect Hokkaido and Nagasaki, on the northeast and southwest tips of the country, to explore building a casino in the latest licensing round.
A committee of Japanese Diet members held a meeting. They also agreed that upholding a ban on sports betting was in the best interests of the country.
Japanese law strictly restricts sports betting, allowing only publicly run races. Horse racing has become big business in Japan, with numerous recent Kentucky Derby entrants making the trip, though none have broken through with a win.
