The Casino Regulatory Commission of Japan has a new leader, as Toshiyuki Shimada has been appointed as the new Secretary General, an announcement made through the nation’s government.
Shimada is moving up from his previous job as the Deputy Secretary General at the commission. He is taking over from Takyua Sakaguchi, whose two-year term in the top job has now ended.
Before joining the casino regulator, Shimada worked for Japan’s Ministry of Finance.
In Japan, top leaders for the commission, including the Secretary General, must be approved by the country’s parliament. These members typically serve for five years.
This leadership change comes at a busy time for the regulator, which recently received a proposed budget of JPY 3.71 billion ($25.6 million) for the year.
This appointment of Toshiyuki Shimada is happening as Japan gets tougher on illegal online gambling. The government began tightening its rules in May after news that illegal bets had reached over one trillion yen.
Following this, a new online casino law was passed earlier this month to help reduce gambling-related problems.
Just last week, another bill was passed to fight illegal online gambling, aiming to stop addiction, debt, and money laundering risks.
The Casino Regulatory Commission, which Shimada now leads, oversees these rules as well as Japan’s only legal land-based casino resort, MGM Osaka.
