Japan’s Casino Management Board regulator asks for more money

In Japan and recently-established regulator for the nation’s coming casino industry has reportedly asked the federal government for extra money so that it may hire additional staff and more effectively oversee the issuance of licenses.

According to a report from Inside Asian Gaming, the request from the Casino Management Board comes as communities across the island nation including Wakayama Prefecture and Nagasaki Prefecture are preparing to submit bids for one of a trio of coming integrated casino resort licenses. The source detailed that these 30-year authorizations will enable the successful candidates to build and run Las Vegas-style developments complete with multiple hotels, exhibitions facilities and large gaming floors.

Substantial swell:

The Casino Management Board was inaugurated in January and has reportedly been given the responsibility of awarding the three licenses and enacting protocols to help prevent a proliferation in problem gambling. The organization had earlier been set a budget for 2022 of approximately $37.3 million but has now purportedly asked for this to be increased by around 9% to an amount closer to $40.7 million.

Employee expansion:

Being led by a five-member executive that includes the former Legal Compliance Inspector General for Japan’s Ministry of Defense, Michio Kitamura, the Casino Management Board reportedly divulged that it wants to spend around $28.7 million in 2022 on administrative expenses such as personnel, which is some $1.2 million more than its earlier budget. The regulator purportedly explained that it additionally intends to allocate some $3.6 million next year towards establishing and operating a robust information management system that will encompass a range of cybersecurity and casino entrance measures.

Foreign forays:

In asking for the extra cash and the Casino Management Board reportedly moreover disclosed that it would like to earmark about $4.2 million next year towards improving its ability to properly examine any bids and scrutinize potential partner operators. The watchdog purportedly asserted that it also wants to be able to spend roughly $2.3 million in 2022 so as to send its personnel on overseas fact-finding missions in addition to $1.8 million on expenses related to the examination and certification of casino-related device manufacturers.

Control commitment:

Although most gambling is currently illegal in Japan, the coalition government of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed the Integrated Resort Implementation Bill in July of 2018 so as to initiate a program to license a trio of large integrated casino resorts. This same piece of legislation reportedly initiated the creation of the Casino Management Board alongside this body’s subordinate regulatory oversight division, which could now soon see its workforce expand to encompass up to 160 full-time inspectors.