Families
of gambling addicts will be able to block their kin from online horse
betting under a new system the Japan Racing Association plans to
introduce this week.
The JRA said yesterday it will begin accepting
applications on Thursday from family members living with those
clinically diagnosed with gambling disorders or suspected of struggling
with its symptoms, based on spending habits.
Once accepted, the JRA will suspend them from betting online.
The
move is part of government efforts to curb gambling addiction as it
prepares to debate a bill on the structure of so-called integrated
resorts that include casinos, which it wants to open for the first time
in hopes of boosting tourism and regional economies.
The government
wants to see similar restrictions in place at racetracks and off-track
betting booths starting next fall but it’s unclear how such measures can
be executed.
It also plans to expand online gambling restrictions
based on applications submitted by family members to bicycle, motorbike
and motorboat racing beginning next April.
An estimated 3.2mn
Japanese have likely suffered from gambling addiction, according to a
government survey of 4,685 people released in September. It said 0.85 of
the population between 20 to 74 – a ratio equivalent to around 700,000
people – were likely addicted at some point in the past year, with their
average age being 46.5. An average of ¥58,000 was spent on gambling per
month.
Pachinko accounted for the most gambling money.
A
spokesman for JRA, a public company overseen by the agriculture ministry
that manages racecourses and training facilities, said revenue from
online betting accounted for roughly 60% of its approximately ¥2.6tn in
annual revenue.
The JRA and the National Association of Racing, which
oversees horse races operated by local governments, have already
installed a system to restrict online gambling for individual who apply
on their own behalf. Based on that system, 14 people have been banned
from online betting so far.
Gambling is prohibited in principle in Japan, excluding horse racing and certain motor sports.
Pachinko
is considered a kind of quasi-legal gambling, categorised as gaming on
the basis of the indirect way players turn their winnings into money.
Pachinko balls won at parlours can be exchanged for gifts, which in turn
can be exchanged for cash at off-site booths.
Last year, the Diet
passed a law to legalise casinos, opening the way for entertainment
complexes that combine high-stakes gambling with hotels and other
facilities. But legislation is still necessary to sort out details on
regulation and tax rates, as well as social issues like compulsive
gambling. The bill is expected to be debated when the Diet opens in
January.
American casino operators like MGM Resorts International
have shown an interest in building such resorts if selected as one of
the preferred operators. Meanwhile, various prefectures and
municipalities, including Hokkaido and the cities of Yokohama and Osaka,
are competing to host one of the first legal gambling complexes in the
country.