Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN MAY 2020 34 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency in April, but for now the government’s IR timeline hasn’t changed. 安倍首相は4月に緊急事態宣言を発令したが、今のところ政府のIR日程に変更はない T he world continues to change and evolve at a rapid pace with the outbreak of COVID-19. It began to hit the gaming industry in a meaningful way with the shutdown of the casinos in Macau back in February. The effects have now spread throughout the industry, just as the disease has, to encompass almost every corner of the gaming world - from Cambodia to the United States and from the Philippines to Europe, including online operations as well as casinos. The industry continues to face challenges regarding how and when to reopen, while operators also look at future development opportunities that may still exist, with the bullseye of opportunity first and foremost centered on Japan. Japan has faced its own challenges over the last few months as COVID-19 has gripped the nation. Despite a difficult series of events that have dominated headlines in recent months, namely the controversial Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama Bay, the SlowingdowntheCentralGovernment timeline by six months to a year can only help, allowing these major operators to regain the foothold they held just a few months ago. 日本政府がスケジュールを6カ月から1年遅ら せることは悪いことではない。これらの主要な 事業者がほんの数カ月前に保持していた足場 を取り戻すことを可能にする。 COLUMNISTS