A Japanese ministerial ordinance setting out the procedures for certifying integrated resort (IR) district development plans came into force on 1 April 20241. The ordinance, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Order No. 99 of Reiwa 2, was issued under the Act on Development of Specified Integrated Resort Districts (Act No. 80 of Heisei 30)1.
The ordinance states its commencement date directly:
"この省令は、令和六年四月一日から施行する。"
The text sets out what a district development plan must contain. Required items include the name, location and outline of the specified integrated resort, the total floor area of the facility, and the construction schedule for the establishment and operation business1. Plans must be accompanied by documents including an outline of the facility design and floor plans, elevation drawings and cross-section drawings showing the structure of the facilities making up the resort1.
The ordinance also defines which changes to a certified plan count as minor, allowing them to be filed rather than re-approved. These include changes to the location of the district resulting only from a change of place name or lot number, changes to the name, address or representative of the certified operator, and changes to the name or location of the facility on the same limited grounds1. Other changes may qualify if the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism finds no risk of hindering proper implementation of the plan1.
On public disclosure, the ordinance requires that the outline of an implementation agreement be posted in a place easily visible to the public and published online, and kept available until the agreement's validity period ends1. Business plans must likewise be displayed publicly and online until the end of the relevant business year1.
The ordinance also lists what an operator must disclose if it intends to abolish its establishment and operation business, including measures taken to continue the business and measures to avoid or reduce adverse effects on the area around the district, covering the use or disposal of the land and facility and steps to prevent unemployment and stabilize employment1.
What it means for players
The ordinance is procedural. It governs how Japanese authorities certify, amend and publish IR district plans, not how individuals gamble. It does not change the legal status of casino gambling for residents or visitors, and it does not set out rules on entry, age limits, taxes or wagering. No casino has opened in Japan under this framework on the basis of this ordinance alone. For the current legal position on gambling in the country, see Can I Gamble in Japan?, and for how Japan compares with other markets in the region, see Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions.
What happens next
The ordinance took effect on 1 April 20241. No further dates are set out in the text. Any timeline for certification of specific district plans, or for the opening of any IR, has not been reported in this ordinance.
Sources1 sources
- 特定複合観光施設区域整備法に基づく区域整備計画の認定等に関する省令, laws.e-gov.go.jp
