The arrest of a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker on suspicion of accepting bribes from a Chinese gambling operator bidding for a casino resort project highlights the potential for corruption involving the lucrative business. The government says its policy of promoting casino resorts in this country — based on the 2018 law that paved the way for such establishments as yet another exemption from the nation's gambling ban — will not be affected by the arrest of Tsukasa Akimoto. However, it needs to re-examine whether a system has been established to rule out any collusion in selecting the operators to run the casino projects.
Akimoto, who resigned from the LDP immediately after his arrest on Wednesday, was known as a key proponent of opening integrated resorts featuring casinos along with hotels, convention centers, entertainment and shopping complexes. Between 2017 and 2018 — when he is alleged to have received ¥3 million in cash and ¥700,000 in other benefits from the Chinese firm 500.com Ltd. — Akimoto was a senior deputy minister in the Cabinet Office in charge of the casino resort business while concurrently serving as deputy chief of the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry.
Prior to his arrest, Akimoto denied accepting inducements. Investigators reportedly suspect that he received the bribes from the Chinese company knowing that the money and benefits were meant to garner his favorable treatment in the firm's bid for a casino resort project in the village of Rusutsu, Hokkaido. What he specifically did in return for the alleged bribes has not been made known and may have to wait for further investigations.