Operator News
Japan – Japan’s casino timeline pushed back to second half of the decade
By Phil - 11 December 2020
Casinos won’t be opening in Japan until the latter part of the decade following government revisions delaying the previous target date of 2025.
Confirmation of the delay was made at a joint sub-committee meeting. The application window for local governments interested in hosting an Integrated Resort was recently delayed by nine months to October 2021. Only four localities have so far confirmed their intention to bid for one of the three IR licenses available with Osaka, Nagasaki, Wakayama and Yokohama city making their bids official.
Akira Amari, Head of the LDP’s Research Commission on the Tax System, also confirmed that winnings by non-resident foreigners at Japanese casinos would not be taxed.
He said: “It would be meaningless if no one comes to the integrated resorts after building them. We need to keep with international norms. It should be fine to employ the method of tax exemption based on international standards.”
Japanese players would be taxed on the winnings they declare in a similar way to horseracing, where income tax is taken if winnings exceed a certain amount.
