Japan's parliament has passed a long-awaited law to legalise casinos.

千呼万唤始出来，日本议会终于通过了赌场合法化决议。

The move paves the way for casino resort developments that also include hotels and shopping centres.

这一举措为包括酒店、购物中心在内的赌场度假村行业发展奠定了基础。

International gaming firms including Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts and Caesars have expressed an interest in running businesses in Japan.

国际各大博彩公司如永利、米高梅和凯撒等赌场度假村都表示有兴趣在日本发展业务。

Casino operators are keen to find new markets, especially those in close proximity¹ to China.

各大赌场经营者们跃跃欲试，尤其希望在中国周边开发新市场。

Politicians in Japan's lower house approved the bill in the early hours of Thursday. It had already been passed in the upper house.

经上议院批准后，日本下议院在上周四早些时候也通过了赌场合法化法案。

The move was backed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who believes the changes will stimulate² tourism and help the country's flagging economy.

这一举措得到了安倍首相的支持，以期推动日本旅游业，刺激本国低迷的经济。

But with legislation still needed on how to regulate the sector³, casinos are not expected to open for at least another six years.

然而，由于赌场监管的法案尚未出台，至少六年内日本将不会开设任何赌场。

An estimate by Daiwa Research Institute suggests that just three casinos in Japan could earn annual profits of $10bn.

据大和研究所估计，日本仅三家赌场的年利润总和就能达到100亿美元。

But it added that Japan would also have to differentiate⁴ itself to attract gamblers in Asia who already can choose to visit casinos in Singapore, Macau, the Philippines, and South Korea.

该研究所同时指出，日本必须想办法另辟蹊径才能吸引往返于新加坡、澳门、菲律宾、韩国赌场的亚洲赌客们。

Politicians have clashed over plans to legalise casinos in Japan for the past 15 years, with strong opposition⁵ based largely around fears of gambling⁶ addiction⁷ and other social fall-out such as organised crime.

在过去15年中，日本政客们一直在赌场合法化问题上争论不休。反对派强烈抗议，他们害怕法案一通过，社会将出现赌博成瘾、集团犯罪等歪风邪气。

And pro-casino campaigners have had to try and allay⁸ fears about the negative impact of casinos, promising⁹ measures to combat addiction and money laundering¹⁰.

而支持派一直努力试图缓解民众对赌场负面影响的恐惧，承诺将采取措施抑制赌博成瘾、洗钱等非法勾当。

An opinion poll by public broadcaster NHK found 44% of those questioned opposed the plans, with just 12% supporting it and 34% of respondents undecided.

在日本大众传播机构日本放送协会（NHK）发起的民意调查中，44%的受访人反对这些计划，34%犹豫不决，支持人数仅占12%。

Casinos are currently illegal in Japan, though gambling on horse, boat and bicycle races is allowed through government-backed bookmakers.

目前，赌场在日本仍是非法场所，尽管市面上仍有马赛、船赛、自行车赛的博彩项目，但都是由政府支持的博彩商所经营。

The most common form of gambling in Japan is Pachinko, the country's take on pinball. Played in parlours across Japanese towns and cities, the game is tolerated despite its legal status remaining vague.

弹球盘是日本最常见的赌博形式。这种弹球游戏在日本十分流行，全国各个县市的民众都喜欢在弹球房玩这种游戏，尽管它的合法地位仍然模糊不清。