Okinawa drops plans to host casinos

The Okinawa prefectural government has decided to drop a plan to attract integrated casino resorts if the country manages to pass a law legalizing gambling, Japan newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
Okinawa governor Takeshi Onaga, who took office in December, has been reluctant to introduce casinos on the island. The prefectural government is not allocating funds for research into casino-related projects in its 2015 fiscal year budget, despite having funded such studies over the past eight years.
Japan’s government has been discussing legalizing casinos – which are currently prohibited by law – as a measure to boost the nation’s economic growth. However, Japanese lawmakers indefinitely postponed legalizing casinos last year. Wall Street Journal reported last November that Japan’s push to legalize casino gambling was facing a major setback given the lack of popular support coupled with a parliamentary gridlock.
According to the Japanese newspaper, Okinawa’s prefectural government began researching the casino industry back in 2007.  It was planning to be home to family-friendly integrated resorts that would yield about JPY219 billion while creating jobs for around 54,000 people.
Moreover, as a privileged destination for both Japanese and international tourists, Okinawa also has large areas of land that could be available once U.S. military bases are abandoned.  These plots could be used to build the integrated resorts.
“It could have a negative impact on the tourism industry, which has been doing well thanks to the influence of soft power, including nature, history and traditional culture,” the governor said, adding that “gambling addiction is also a concern.”
Gaming companies such as Las Vegas Sands Corp, Caesars Entertainment Corp or MGM Resorts International have been hoping that Japan’s prime minister is able to unlock an “integrated resort” market, Reuters reported last year.
Okinawa is the southernmost prefecture of Japan.