Okinawa governor pulls plug on plans creating regional gambling hub in southern Japan
New governor of southern prefecture scraps funding for advance construction work, ending hopes of creating new regional gambling hub
The new governor of Okinawa has withdrawn funding for preparatory work for the construction of casinos, effectively killing off plans to have Japan's most economically backward prefecture compete with Macau and Singapore as a regional gambling hub.
Casinos are still illegal in Japan, but the central government has in recent years been considering amending the relevant laws to promote gambling.
The intention is to attract more tourists from overseas and to create a new source of tax revenues, although the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's campaign has stalled in recent months and a vote on the issue in the Diet has been delayed.
Okinawa has long been considered a prime location for what have been termed integrated resorts, bringing together hotels and other entertainment facilities with casinos.
A gaming industry would bring much-needed funds to the islands, previous prefectural authorities have argued, as well as creating employment and utilising land used by the US military when it is handed back to local authorities as Washington consolidates its forces in the region.
But Takeshi Onaga, who was elected governor of Japan's most southerly prefecture in November last year, made it clear in his campaign that he was opposed to casinos in Okinawa.