Japan’s Casino Regulatory Commission Holds its Inaugural Meeting

Japan’s Casino Regulatory Commission has held its first meeting on Friday. At the meeting, the five members of the commission, including its head, Michio Kitamura, discussed rules regulating its operations. It will also work on drawing up regulations on resort operators.

“The members of the commission and staff of its secretariat will unite and work with a sense of urgency to build trust with the public over casino business,” Kitamura said.

He also stressed the commission’s resolve to deal appropriately with casino-related concerns among the public, such as gambling addiction and a potential rise in crime.

“I plan to supervise our staff at the secretariat so that the commission’s fairness and neutrality will not be questioned,” Kitamura said.

The commission, affiliated with the Cabinet Office, was established last Tuesday. Like the Nuclear Regulation Authority, the commission has independent authority, being able to issue licenses necessary to run casinos in Japan and cancel the licenses if irregularities are found.

The secretariat currently has 95 workers, and the number will be increased by 25 in fiscal 2020, which starts April 1. The envisaged casino regulations, including mandatory measures to prevent gambling addiction, will likely be drawn up by spring 2021.