Japan's Casino Regulatory Commission saw its allocated annual budget increase by 2.2% year-on-year. Its fiscal 2024 budget is N3.77 billion ($26 million), up N80 million from N3.62 billion announced in fiscal 2023.

The allocation for the upcoming fiscal year was announced on Friday. When expressed in U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate, the budget actually shrank slightly in fiscal 2023.

According to information gathered by GGRAsia's Japan correspondent, the commission has entered enforcement mode for casino-related permits and other casino regulations since this fiscal year.

The first casino resort in the U.S. is MGM Osaka, which will be a venture between U.S.-based MGM Resorts International and Japan's Orix Corp., as well as smaller investors.

In early September, authorities in the Japanese metropolitan city of Osaka referred to "Autumn 2030" as early as before the resort opened. They added that the initial investment cost would increase by N1.80 trillion at the time by N190 billion.

Nagasaki City is still awaiting proposals from the government to develop casinos and integrated resorts (IRs).

Japan's Casino Regulatory Commission's fiscal 2024 budget is as follows: 2.85 billion yen for personnel and operating expenses, 360 million yen for the establishment of a supervisory body for casino operators and other guardians, and 220 million yen for screening to confirm the suitability of licensing for casino operators and other guardians.

The number of commission employees mentioned in the fiscal 2024 budget was 167, up three from a year earlier.

The annual budget cited excludes the amount that the Japan Digital Agency, a government agency established to support the "digitalization" of the country's economy, government, and society, has to pay for these operations by the Japan Casino Regulatory Commission. For fiscal 2024, this amounts to 540 million yen, compared to 910 million yen for fiscal 2023.