The Japanese government announced on Thursday that they are planning to encourage horse race track and pachinko parlor operators to use facial recognition systems to restrict gambling addicts from entering their establishments.
The Japanese government's draft is based on the Basic Act on Countermeasures for Gambling Addiction which was enacted last July.
The use of the facial recognition system is part of the plan of the government to combat gambling addiction which was drafted to pave way for the plan to open casinos in the country. According to Japanese officials, facial recognition systems can help in easily identifying gambling addicts. They will be restricted in entering racetracks and pachinko parlors in the request of their family members.
The Japanese government also plans to remove automated teller machines from gambling sites. The plan will be implemented next month after they have sought out the opinions of the public. The government also plans to implement the system in bicycle and speedboat racing sites. The new policy will be reviewed every three years. The government announced that the admission restrictions against gambling addicts based on family members' request will be introduced to pachinko parlors during the fiscal year 2019 which will end in March next year.
According to the government's data, 11 ATM's were installed at central and local racetracks and off-track betting offices as of 2018. There are about 1,100 machines located in pachinko parlors all over Japan.
The draft plan said that the government will introduce a system that will enable gambling addicts to set a maximum limit on the amount of money that they will spend in purchasing betting tickets online for horse and boat race in fiscal 2020.
The government also urges the gaming industry and its operators to develop guidelines for advertisements to avoid fuelling the desire of the addicts in gambling. The plan said that Japan's welfare ministry will set up consultation offices in support of the gambling addicts in all prefectures and ordinance-designated major cities in the country before fiscal 2020.
The ministry plans to conduct a survey that will discuss issues on gambling addiction that includes multiple debts, poverty, abuse, suicide, and crime. In fiscal 2019, they are planning to study the effects of gambling addiction on child abuse. The ministry also plans to involve schools in their fight against gambling addiction. They are also planning to urge the National Police Agency to instruct prefectural police departments to clamp down on illegal gambling.
