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Posts Tagged ‘Japan’

Japan Changes Mind on Gambling Law

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Japan is a country that is thinking about gambling—but not in a positive way. The government recently was debating legalizing gambling and regulating it, but then quickly did an about face on the issue. The recession was a reason for many countries to consider legalizing gambling, but for Japan it was the opposite. Prior to the recession was when the country was considering the move—every country was though. There are huge potential dollars available due to gambling and its legalization, but that doesn’t mean that every country is going to immediately bite

Money is the main reason why countries are seriously considering legalizing gambling. Though there are inevitably going to be problems in implementation, many legislators are willing to over look them. They believe that if the proper legislation is written, then the problems can be dealt with, or at minimum mitigated. The huge potential dollars are difficult to overlook. Even legislators who were formerly against gambling regulation are now jumpingship. They are hoping that with the proper laws in place, they can come up with the money necessary to turn their budgets around while still protecting casinos and gamblers from illegal activity rises.

Japan isn’t taking chances though. All gambling activities are illegal in the country however lawmakers know that activities relating to gambling are still happening underground. Japan fully recognizes the illegal activity, and is cracking down on the activity in mass numbers. One example was the recent arrest of Tomoyuki Miyamoto. Miyamoto was accused of operating an illegal gambling ring. Not only did it break the prevailing law of no  gambling, but it also allowed underage people to wager and place bets. this makes it a difficult thing for Miyamoto to get out of since he was accused of illegal activities that spanned a cross section of the ban. Miyamoto was only a small portion of the illegal gambling activities going on in the country. It will take a stronger force to monitor the illegal activities, and that means that Japan is going to have to shore up their policing of the country. It may take time to get to the bottom of all the illegal activities going on, but Japanese lawmaker are determined to flush out the gambling activity.

Aruze Takes the Market by Storm

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

For any avid gamer, checking back with the market is key to finding the best games and deals. It seems like almost every month there is a new company entering the market that promises to be the next big thing in the online world. Aruze is the latest company to take the lead and claim that it can overcome the competition with a great overall gaming option.

The company itself is a Japanese-based manufacturer that focused on bringing new slot-like machines to various arcades throughout the country. As of now, the company is the only game in Japan and that makes it one of the most popular ones around. The Japanese gaming public is huge and it is instrumental in shaping the industry. If you look at the games being released now, Rock You Queen is one that has made the biggest buzz in the market. This is a rock-n-roll themed slots game. It of course features Queen, the rock group, but adds more fun by making it a 3D game. All of the greatest songs are alive in this game and you can pick one of the band’s five biggest hits. Each one comes along with a number of free spins and prizes. You may think getting the biggest number of spins is the best way to go, but in reality there is a twist here. If you get fewer spins, the game gives you a bigger payout.

One thing you need to keep watching out for is the “bicycle bonus” the game has to offer. This is an interesting little bonus—you will watch a fantastic bike race between the various members of the band Queen. It’s here where you can earn a bonus anywhere from fifteen to six-hundred additional credits to play. Overall this is a great game to enjoy. If you are looking for a new game to test out, look at this one. The bonus alone is worth its weight when it comes to great gaming. Test it out and keep watching Aruze gaming—the company is sure to continue coming up with great things in the future.

Japan Starting to Open Minds to Gaming

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

For many years the Japanese have looked at gambling with caution and as a result have come up with a wide range of sanctions banning casinos across their country. Now, that the economy has been hit with a huge deficit due to the recession, the country realizes that it hasa few revenue-generating options. As a result, Japanese lawmakers are considering opening some land-based casinos in the country. Many of the public are expected to be against the move for gambling however experts cite that it will bring in millions of tourists per year. Though the Japanese may not like the idea, it will be hard to pass up the millions of dollars available with gambling and its legalization along with regulation. The move will likely anger some citizens, but that still isn’t enough to cause gambling to be banned much longer. 

It seems like Japan is in the midst of the same debate the US is. The US is also debating the two sides. On one side there is the group of people who believe that gambling’s revenues are enough to help the economy out of its financial troubles.They hold that the huge tax-revenue dollars are the only thing able to turn around the lagging economy and other options for finding funding are quickly waning. On the other side is a group who believe that legalizing and regulating gambling would only bring more problems to the communities– crime, corruption, money laundering and addictions. They say that the government is not able to handle the added strain of more problems. It seems as if the increased revenues may win out the argument though. This may take away some of the success that the Chinese have had with their gambling market. This is something that the Japanese could certainly take advantage of, as the lure of fresh casino across the water will likely draw a slew of gamblers looking for a flutter whilst on their holidays. Nothing has yet been confirmed but it seems as though this idea could gather more steam in the coming months.  Only time will tell where Japan and the US see gambling in up coming years but most likely gambling will be integral to gaining a financial footing.

The Reno Company Closing Japan Operation

Monday, February 15th, 2010

International Game Technology announced that it is going to take a hit for $20 million in expenses it will incur for closing its operations in Japan. The Reno company, in a regulatory filing, said it announced to employees on Monday its decision to close the Japan operations “due to ongoing difficult market conditions and changes in the company’s future core business strategy. The closure is part of the company’s ongoing focus on operating efficiencies in all areas of its business.” During the first quarter operations in Japan experienced a net loss of $2.5 million in 2010 and $1.2 million in 2009.

“Total charges related to the closure are still developing and will depend on the culmination of certain asset sales and property lease cancellations. We currently estimate charges, including severance, of up to $20 million in the aggregate, will be recorded in the second and third quarters of fiscal 2010,” the casino industry supplier said. Despite the loss, IGT said it is still looking at new slot machines sales opportunities. There is a voter referendum to be taken in Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, Maryland and Pennsylvania. There are also projects underway in Maryland, Kansas, and Pennsylvania. Gaming expansion is coming into the mix despite problems.

Future gaming expansion is also anticipated in international markets, especially Southeast Asia and Italy. Both areas are hubs for gambling growth and have proven themselves with strong markets over the past few years. For that reason operators are looking for expansion into the markets to gain their own share of the revenues available. The recession was particularly difficult on the gambling market and it is still in the process of regrouping. It’s hard to gauge how long it will take for the market to fully return to pre-recessionary performance. The unemployment rate is still high and though people want to start spending, many are wary due to lack of funds. The credit lending industry closed a lot of doors for consumers also and many had to rely on their savings to get through the recession. Now that things are getting better, people are putting all discretionary funding into bulking up savings once again. It may take some time for them to rebuild their nest eggs before they start gambling again.