Japan Is Pressured to Legalize Gambling - Wall Street Journal

BY YOREE KOH

TOKYO—The Japanese government is moving toward opening the country to casino gambling for the first time, driven by American gambling interests, the success of other Asian casino centers, and a search for new growth industries to end the long economic slump.

In a rare sign of cooperation amid the country's fractious politics, a group of 150 lawmakers from the ruling party and five opposition parties have embraced legislation that could begin the process of legalizing gambling within two years. Leaders of the group say they plan to submit the bill before the current parliamentary session is scheduled to end in ...