iGaming Business – Japan is reportedly set to indefinitely postpone legalising casinos as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lacks the political leverage to pass a bill before the end of the year.

Sources told the Reuters news agency that lawmakers in the country intend to push back a vote on the bill rather than attempt to pass it in the current parliamentary session ending this month.

Although lawmakers intend to keep the bill on the table, there is a considerable chance it will not come up for discussion even in 2015, with the focus instead being on higher-priority bills such as those related to national defence.

“If they can’t pass it now, I doubt whether they’ll ever be able to pass it,” one of the sources said.

Prime Minister Abe, who has promoted casino resorts as part of his economic growth programme, has suffered in recent times due to his cabinet being hit by a number of scandals.

The decision will also be a blow for a host of casino developers that were considering diversifying into the country.

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