Japanese authorities are considering making pachinko pinball-style gaming machines less rewarding as a measure to combat problem gambling, police officials…
TOKYO —
Japanese authorities are considering making pachinko pinball-style gaming machines less rewarding as a measure to combat problem gambling, police officials said Friday.
Officials at the National Police Agency said they are mulling a review of the current guidelines for implementing the entertainment industry law relating to the machines.
Ubiquitous throughout Japan, pachinko parlors contain machines into which users insert metal balls and receive a number of balls back based on a mixture of skill and luck. Accumulated balls are then traded for tokens, and in practice, monetary rewards.
Pachinko is classified as a form of entertainment rather than gambling, which is illegal except under a few limited circumstances.
But the phenomenon of problem gambling has come into the sights of the government and the public following heated debate over a law opening the door to the construction of casinos in Japan. The law was enacted last year, but further legislation is required to dictate how the casinos will operate.
Earlier Friday, a government panel compiled a list of issues for ministries and agencies to consider when formulating measures to combat problem gambling.
The health ministry also released Friday the results of a survey of men and women in 11 major urban centers, finding that 2.7 percent of them have likely experienced gambling addiction at some point in their lives.
