Japan casino legislation clears Cabinet Committee Barrier

In Japan, the Integrated Resort Implementation Bill could reportedly be set to a vote before the full 465-seat House of Representatives as soon as tomorrow after Friday afternoon saw the human body ’s Cabinet Committee controversially ratify that the casino-legalizing legislation.

According to a report from Asia Gaming Brief, the legislation which would contribute to three integrated casino resorts to the Asian nation made it through the Cabinet Committee amid scenes which watched opposition politicians from the Democratic Party for the individuals, the Japanese Communist Party and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan rush the dais in a bid to stop a ballot from being held. Nonetheless, these attempts were purportedly in vain as lawmakers in the ruling center-right coalition government of Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, simply stood after about a minute of protests to indicate an affirmative vote had occurred.

Although most casino gambling is currently prohibited in Japan, Abe’s coalition managed to pass that the Integrated Resort Promotion Act in December of 2016 and it is currently hoping to get the successor Integrated Resort Implementation Bill through the House of Representatives in advance of a Wednesday legislative deadline in where the measure will proceed to the upper House of Councillors.

Should continuing protests stop the House of Representatives from voting on the Bill before the June 20 cut-off, The Japan Times newspaper reported the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition may simply extend the semester with a further few weeks in order to secure passage.