Gaming Standards Association to Consult Japan on Casino Legislation

An established non-profit trade body to assist the Japanese government in setting the standards for the operation of the nation’s first casinos

The Gaming Standards Association (GSA) announced today that it has established presence in Japan as the nation is gearing up preparations to select the operators of its first casinos. The non-profit organization will provide educational services on the technical aspects of gaming and regulation to Japanese authorities as well as information on relevant matters.

The GSA was established in the spring of 1998 as a non-profit organization aiming to eliminate the technological communication problems that providers of solutions for the gambling industry were facing at the time. The association gradually grew to now include more than 50 members and to extend the scope of its work beyond the B2B side of the global gambling industry.

The GSA said in a statement from earlier today that its experience spanning more than two decades would help Japan find the right answers as the nation is setting the rules and regulations under which its nascent casino industry will be managed.

Japanese lawmakers legalized casino gambling in December 2016. The passage of the legislation that made casinos legal marked the start of a lengthy regulation and organization process that will pave the way for the development of three integrated resorts with casino facilities. The next stage in this process requires the selection of the preferred locations for the three resorts and the companies that will build and operate them. The first properties are anticipated to open doors in the early-to-mid 2020s.

Guaranteeing the Integrity of Casino Management

Commenting on the GSA’s entry in Japan, the association’s President, Peter DeRaedt, said that they are looking forward to supporting local authorities and government representatives with the “unbiased information they are looking for” as they are working on the necessary principles and rules under which the nation’s casinos will be run.

Mr. DeRaedt went on to say that for the past two decades, the association has brought together the industry and has facilitated discussions that have led to the creation of a number of key standards for the successful provision of “an important level of transparency to governments, regulators, operators, and manufacturers.”

GSA Japan Managing Director Kaji Takeshi added that the Japanese government has stressed on the fact that the nation’s casinos will be developed using the highest regulation standards to guarantee the integrity of their management and to minimize negative side effects.

Mr. Takeshi also pointed out that to achieve the above goals and to establish a casino industry within integrated resorts that conform to international standards, Japan needs a good partner like the GSA.

The government of Japan is expected to announce the preferred locations where its first three integrated casino resorts will be built and to launch the bidding process for the three gaming licenses that are to be granted as part of the casino legalization process by the end of the year.

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