In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (pictured) has reportedly stated that he remains committed to getting the casino-legalizing Integrated Resort Implementation Bill ratified by the nation’s House of Councillors before the current parliamentary session ends on July 22.
According to a report from GGRAsia, the legislation that would license up to three integrated casino resorts in Japan was passed by the 465-seat House of Representatives on June 19 before being sent to the upper House of Councillors. With the country’s parliament due to adjourn for its summer recess the very next day, Abe’s ruling coalition government agreed to extend the body’s calendar by a further month in order to allow time for this and several other pieces of government legislation to be fully enacted.
Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party currently governs Japan in coalition with the center-right Komeito political party and GGRAsia reported that the 63-year-old joined with this partner’s leader, Natsuo Yamaguchi, on Tuesday to restate his commitment to getting the Integrated Resort Implementation Bill ratified before the conclusion of July.
GGRAsia reported that the very same day saw a House of Councillors sub-committee presented with a separate piece of draft legislation known as the Basic Bill on Gambling Addiction Countermeasures. This proposal contains several measures that have been designed to help prevent gambling addictions and is due to serve as the background to which additional regulations can later be added.
The passage of the Basic Bill on Gambling Addiction Countermeasures is reportedly being considered a precondition for the later ratification of the Integrated Resort Implementation Bill with GGRAsia detailing that this former piece of legislation could be put to a preliminary vote before the 242-member House of Councillors as soon as Friday.