Nearly two-thirds of respondents oppose the recently passed bill authorizing the opening of Japan's first casinos, highlighting deep-rooted public concern about gambling addiction and additional crime, a poll shows.
The telephone poll conducted by Kyodo News over the weekend found that 64.8 percent of respondents opposed the legislation and 27.6 percent supported it. The Diet, dominated by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, passed the bill on Friday despite stiff resistance from opposition parties.
Even among those who support the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 47.6 percent were against the casino bill, compared with 84.9 percent of those who dislike the Cabinet.