Japan to extend ir implementation period to one year

Japan's Central Government authorities have stated that the registration date for the Casino Resorts (CR) will be postponed. The wait could extend from six months to a year, as the government has yet to issue an formal timetable.

The eligibility period was initially scheduled for January through July 2021. The deadlines were then moved back, and the submissions can mostly take place in autumn 2021 according to Kyodo News. The Mainichi Shinbun, another source, said the delay could be up to a year. The postponement is attributed largely to the current COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the 500.com bribery controversy. The delays even drive the opening of the irs further, as the deadline of 2025 is no longer possible.

Japan has yet to announce a revised basic policy and will miss two of the release dates set. Operators seeking to apply their CR bids aren't exactly what their plans are based on. An IR basic policy updated draft should be published by the authorities. The preceding draft has multiple requirements set for the CRs, such as optimistic economic effects on the country and CR operators financial stability. It is expected that the current draft will include countermeasures on infectious disease inside the facilities and regulations on communications between officials of government and casino operators.