LDP postpones bill legalizing casinos in Japan

The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan has once again decided not to pursue the current session of the parliament’s bill to legalize casino operations as coalition partner Komeito remains cautious on gambling, according to the Japan Times.

It appears the LDP was eager to avoid a conflict with Komeito ahead of the Upper House election this summer, and Komeito is worried about a possible rise in gambling addiction, according to the report. "We’ll give up again for this session,” an LDP lawmaker backing the casino bill said on Monday.  “The problem is whether an accord can be reached between the LDP and Komeito,” said another LDP member.

The bill was introduced previously by LDP and two other parties last year, but was carried over to this session when LDP pushed for the passage of a controversial national security bill in Sep. 2015.

Lifting the casino ban is “expected to be a big boost for tourism and regional economies,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was quoted by Japan Times.

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