Overall the article is badly in need of an editor; the writing is atrocious. Hard to believe this was written by a native English speaker.
As for content - far too many points to list here, but just one or two:
:
It is reported that pachinko contributes to more than 4% of the country's GDP on an annual basis
First, 'it is reported' is lazy writing. At the very least provide a source.
Secondly - the total amount of money spent on pachinko may be equivalent to 4% of GDP. That is not necessarily the same thing as 'contributing' 4% to GDP. Revenues for a company can not automatically be directly compared to GDP. GDP is the measure of the value of goods and services produced. The price of something may (or may not) equal the 'value' created. If you work in a store and your store sells a second-hand refrigerator, that sale is revenue for the store - but it's not included in GDP; the sale didn't create a new refrigerator. However, any commission etc. on the sale *would* be included - you (your store) provided a service.
tighten the belt even more, the Diet is even considering to prohibit the installation of ATMs in the casino resorts. In that way, the players cannot run into significant debts, as they will not be able to get more cash, when they run out of money.
Players can't just go outside the casino and withdraw more money? Casinos won't take credit / debit cards?
More to the point, restricting access and removing ATMs etc are
exactly the kind of measures that will kill any chance of the casinos helping turn Japan into a 'lucrative tourist destination'. Casinos have to be an experience. Yes, you can lose money - you lose money in just about any activity or experience outside of work. Going to a movie, going out for dinner, playing golf or tennis - going to a casino can be similiar to any of those things, with the added thrill of (potentially) leaving with more than you came with. Casinos need to focus on offering a fun time, so that people are happy to spend some money as an activity. The more Japan tries to 'prevent gambling addiction' the less fun and more of a chore it become, in which case the only people going to the casino are.... you know, people with a gambling addiction.
Can't have it both ways. Either have the casinos with the understanding that it *will* destroy lives, accepting that as a trade-off for the tax and tourist revenues they will bring in (which could be used for a lot of good, it should be noted), or don't have the casinos at all.
