STRAITSTIMES

Japan's plan to legalise casino gambling has likely been delayed again, a senior official said on Monday, dealing a further political blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
 
Casino operators including Las Vegas Sands, Genting Singapore, MGM Resorts and Melco Crown Entertainment are waiting in the wings as potential investors in what analysts say is one of the world's biggest untapped markets, worth tens of billions of dollars a year.
 
But Parliament was unlikely to have enough time to pass the controversial law during the current session of Parliament, the coalition official said. "The hurdle is quite high for both Lower and Upper houses to enact it" during the current session which ends on Nov 30, Mr Keiichi Ishii, policy chief of Komeito, the junior partner in Mr Abe's coalition government, told Reuters.
 
Mr Abe, who wants Japan's first casino open in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, saw two Cabinet ministers resign on Monday, moves that could complicate tough decisions on key policies.