Lawmakers reopening debate to legalize casinos in Japan

The ball is finally rolling on Japan’s long-drawn-out bill to legalize casinos.

According to a Bloomberg report, Japanese lawmakers are reopening the debate on the stalled IR Promotion bill, with “the possibility the legislation will be passed as soon as next month.”

Members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) still needs the support of its coalition partner, the Komeito, which has previously signaled that it is not opposed to debate on the bill. According to the news outlet, the group is scheduled to hold a meeting on Wednesday “to discuss their stance.”

The ruling party had tried to get the IR Promotion bill added in the official legislative calendar in early November, but they were blocked by minority Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).  The bill needs to be added in the official agenda, which is set by a committee composed of members from different political parties, before it can be debated.