Japan gets its first casino. News that could surprise all those who come from countries like Serbia, which is considered to be at the very top in terms of the number of casinos per capita.
According to data from the World Health Organization from 2008, Serbia was then in second place in Europe in terms of the number of casinos per capita. But when we look around, there is no reason not to believe that he is now on the first.
How to attract tourists?
The first Japanese casino will be located in the city of Osaka, which, as reported by the world media, paves the way for the construction of a resort worth 8,1 billion dollars.
The huge complex, scheduled to open in 2029, will open in Yumeshima on Osaka Bay in western Japan, where the 2025 World Expo will be held. It will have hotels, a conference center, a shopping mall, a museum and a ferry terminal, as well as a helicopter landing pad. .
Casinos were previously illegal in Japan, but a 2018 law made an exception for games such as poker or baccarat at officially sanctioned locations.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the project would contribute to the economic growth of the Kansai area around Osaka and beyond in Japan after the 2025 World Expo.
Japan's plans to open casinos were previously hampered by the coronavirus pandemic and a bribery scandal that led to the arrest of a prominent lawmaker, after which major US casino operators pulled out of the planned projects.
World media report that the opening of the casino divided the local public. The approval of Japan's first casino follows decades of debate fueled by fears that increased tourism revenue could be accompanied by a rise in gambling addiction.
Somewhere the first, somewhere who knows which
Unlike Japan, Serbia has no shortage of casinos. As soon as a well-known cafe or bookstore closes, there are comments, and in most cases justified, that a new betting shop will soon spring up in that place.
Such was the case with the famous tavern "Manježe" about which he wrote for "Vreme". Srđan Dragojević.
A logical question arises as to why there are so many betting shops in a small country like Serbia.
"In a country where there is a problem of poverty like ours, many people are susceptible to gambling", answered the psychologists in the research he conducted VOICE.
With the adoption of the new Law on Games of Chance in 2020, minors are additionally protected from the negative effects of betting. Thus, the Law prohibits the distance between primary and secondary schools and betting shops and casinos to be less than 200 meters.
However, according to the latest data in Belgrade alone, 30 betting shops are located at a shorter distance from schools than is allowed.
BG/RFE
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