The Japanese Government’s Lack of Initiative to Legalize Casinos Doesn’t Pay Off

The situation that is developing in Japan regarding the gambling industry is one that keen observers can find all over the world. In light of the economic downturn that the world faced last year, it would be a wise decision for the Japanese to legalize different forms of gambling in order to reap the benefits of its resulting economic prosperity.


Despite how common this scenario may seem, the case in Japan is actually quite different. The difference lies in the fact that Japan is sitting on a gold mine. In the event that officials would turn Japanese gambling laws around and legalize casino gambling, a very serious source of revenue would be opened for the country.


Casino gambling and internet gambling in Japan are illegal at this point. There are, however, a few forms of gambling in the country that are legal including: betting on horses, bikes, motorbikes, and motor boats, as well as mahjong, pachinko and the lottery.


Pachinko is a game very similar to pinball. According to government sources, about 13% of the Japanese population plays pachinko. On only pachinko in the last year alone, the Japanese fed over 21 trillion yen (USD $241,379,271,430.51 at time of writing) into machines.


As if this weren’t proof enough that the Japanese people would like to gamble, calculations based on government data in the US and Japan, each gambler in Japan is worth over twice a Las Vegas Gambler. Revenue per visitor to Las Vegas is around $690. The average Japanese gambler, however, spends about $1,900 when on a gambling tour. Macau, china is one of the most popular destinations for Japanese gamblers.


If the government would consent to legalize land-based gambling as well as online gambling sites in Japan, gamblers would not be forced to take their money elsewhere. It’s a win-win situation where gamblers get what they want and the country can prosper through its revenues.