The Japanese government recently announced the appointment of Toshiyuki Shimada as the new Secretary-General of the Casino Regulatory Commission, effective from July 1, replacing Takuya Sakaguchi whose term has expired. Shimada will also step down from his position as Deputy Secretary-General.
Prior to joining the agency, Shimada worked at the Ministry of Finance, bringing extensive experience in government governance. According to current regulations, senior members of the Casino Regulatory Commission must be nominated by the parliament and serve a five-year rotating term. Earlier this year in January, a new chairman, Takafumi Sato, was appointed, and the government also proposed an annual budget of 3.71 billion yen (approximately 25.6 million USD) for the commission.
This personnel adjustment comes at a time when Japan's gambling regulatory policies are being tightened. Following the exposure in May of illegal betting amounts reaching 1 trillion yen, the Japanese government quickly announced that it would strengthen the regulation of online casinos.
Currently, the commission not only oversees the MGM Osaka, the only legal casino resort, but also promotes the enforcement of regulations for online casinos. This month, the House of Representatives in Japan passed several new bills to strengthen penalties for illegal gambling and address risks such as addiction, debt, and money laundering.
With Shimada's official appointment, it is widely expected that Japan will adopt more systematic and stricter reform measures in the field of gambling regulation.
