A member of a subcommittee on casinos launched under the LDP‘s special committee on tourism said the party should expedite discussions as Japan should lift its ban on gambling parlors after Singapore did so in April last year and Thailand is studying following suit.

There have been public objections, however, due to concerns about public order in communities hosting such facilities and possible unfavorable effects on young people. The subcommittee member said casinos have attracted many tourists in countries that have legalized them, helping to boost the economy and international competition.

The subcommittee plans to discuss what gambling houses should be like if they are to be legalized and what to do about the Penal Code banning casinos, before working out an interim report in late April, the members said.

The party plans to listen to opinions of local government officials, academics and business leaders, they said. It will also discuss the feasibility with the National Police Agency, the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry and the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, they added.