Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN FEB 2019 44 The policy announcement from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will be after that. In other words, the government will keep possession of the ball until the latter half of this year. In the meantime, local governments and IR operators hoping to be selected will be polishing their plans. Think of baseball batters warming up on the bench. This is the phase where these batters will prepare the perfect stance to make contact with the ball thrown by the pitcher, namely the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. WHAT IS THE CASINO ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE? Regarding Japanese IRs, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stated, “Our casinos will be clean with the highest standards in the world and at a standard acceptable to the wide majority of our citizens.” With this he established the Casino Administration Committee, responsible for various screenings related to casinos and with supervisory authority. This Committee is scheduled to be initiated on 1 July 2019. It will be an external bureau of the Cabinet Office and will have strong independent authority as a committee established under Article 3 of the National Government Organization Law. Examples of these types of committees include the Fair Trade Commission, National Public Safety Commission and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and from this line-up we can expect the supervisory role of the Casino Administration Committee to be robust. Overseas casino regulators to be used as reference points include the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the CasinoRegulatoryAuthority of Singaporeamongothers. The structures of these organizations will be studied and there will be supervisory departments relating to screening and granting of licenses, as well as research departments for conducting background investigations. In addition, there are plans for departments that specialize in countermeasures for problem gambling and money laundering. In the government’s 2019 budget proposal, JPY2.9 billion was earmarked for the establishment of the Casino Administration Committee. According to the requirements, there will be four committee members and one chair, requiring the consent of the Diet, and a total of 95 persons assigned for bureau operations. Incidentally, only people holding prominent positions, such as the Governor of the Bank of Japan, the General Accounting Office Inspector or the Fair Trade Commission Chair, are eligible. UNQUESTIONABLE INTEGRITY All eyes will certainly be on the key figure to be appointed as the very first Casino Administration Committee Chair. This person will oversee an organization slated to impose the most stringent casino regulation standards in the world, carrying out strict background investigations into all individuals and enterprises involved with IRs. The words “unquestionable integrity” come to mind. The committee chair will need to be a person with strong moral values and who can act with no hint of self-interest. Japanese politics has unfortunately been marred by various scandals and verbal blunders from new ministers shortly after taking office and it is vital to the future of IRs that no similar stumbling blocks emerge as this significant new industry develops. KICKING IT UP A GEAR Once a detailed cabinet order pertaining to the IR Implementation Act and the subsequent Casino Administration Committee are enacted, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will then be able to announce the basic policies for IR operations. This is the pitcher’s match-defining fast ball and it will be up to local governments and their IR operator partners to hit this pitch out of the park. Considering the fast pace that Osaka prefecture and city are moving on this – Governor Matsui stating, “We will independently make a public offering of plans for IR operators and will have narrowed down the candidates by summer” – other local governments and operators may The committee chair will need to be a person with strong moral values and who can act with no hint of self-interest. 委員長は高い倫理観を持ち、一切の私欲を持たずに行動できる人物である必要がある。 JAPAN