Talks due on legalising casinos in Japan: adviser
Posted: 04 January 2008 1719 hrs

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TOKYO - Japan's ruling party and the government are expected to begin talks this month on a proposal to legalise casinos, an adviser to the party said Friday.

Lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have already drawn up proposals to allow a handful of huge Vegas-style casinos, which could open their doors within a few years.

Prospects of the legislation being introduced hinge on whether the lawmakers can build a consensus with the government, said Toru Mihara, an adviser to the LDP's casino study group.

"It's not impossible that the lawmakers will seek an agreement with the government by spring and put together a Bill by then," he added.

"The Bill also depends on how much support and understanding from the public the government could garner," Mihara told AFP.

The LDP's proposal includes the establishment of an independent watchdog that would supervise casinos and their operators in order to prevent crime and stop minors from entering the facilities, he said.

The Bill would also need to be approved by the LDP's junior coalition partner, Komeito, as well as the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which controls the Upper House of parliament.

By overhauling its strict gambling laws Japan would be aiming to lure rich Asian tourists and boost its economy, following in the footsteps of Singapore and the Chinese enclave of Macau.

Although illegal backroom casinos exist in Japan, the only gambling officially open to the country's population of 128 million is on horse, speedboat and bicycle racing as well as lotteries.

Pachinko, a Japanese version of pinball played in thousands of noisy parlours across the country, is not officially defined as gambling, because prizes have to be exchanged outside the premises for cash.

The pachinko industry is dogged by criticism of gambling addiction as well as alleged links to organised crime and even Kim Jong-Il's North Korea. - AFP/ir