The bribery scandal is fuelling the anger of those opposed to the government’s casino plan. Akimoto was a deputy minister in the Cabinet Office from August 2017 to September 2019 and eager to promote the establishment of casinos. Tsukasa Akimoto - a lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) - was arrested for accepting a bribe from a Chinese company seeking to gain entry to the integrated resort market in Japan, although he denies the allegation. There is concern that casinos will increase gambling addiction and criminal activity - but casino supporters loudly advocate their potential power to revitalise Japan’s declining economy.Īmid the heated controversy regarding the establishment of the casino business, a political scandal erupted. Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the PacificĪuthors: Naoko Takiguchi, Otani University and Yuko Kawanishi, JF Oberlin Universityīy the end of the 2020s, large-scale casinos will arrive in Japan where gambling is strictly prohibited by law and not favoured in opinion polls.

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