Casino operators may be required to report all guest winnings

The Japanese government and ruling party are concerned that foreign gamblers could slip away without paying taxes on their casino winnings, and they are now trying to design a system that will hold the casino operators responsible for collecting the needed information.

The proposed system would require Japan’s three casino operators to keep and store records of each individual gambler’s purchase of chips upon entering the casino, the amount of chips converted into cash when leaving, the amount of chips purchased at the gambling tables, and the results of each game.

The tax authorities would then use these records to determine if foreign tourists need to pay up before leaving the country, depending on the tax treaty that Japan has with each country. Chinese visitors, for example, would be forced to pay the Japanese tax man, while South Koreans would be responsible only to their home government.

The ruling coalition may include this plan in their tax system reform outline to be compiled in December.

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