Channel News Asia – Australian tycoon James Packer said Friday he wants to expand his gaming empire into the lucrative Japanese market in the form of resort-casinos. The mogul, who already operates casinos in Melbourne, Perth and Macau and is planning complexes in Manila, Sydney and Sri Lanka, said Japan was his next big hope. “I hope Japan comes up,” he told The Australian newspaper. “If Japan comes on it will be the second-biggest gaming market in the world. It has 100 million people who are all mad gamblers but they are all doing it through horse racing and pachinko….

From Card Player – MGM Resorts International is in the midst of crucial projects in the United States and Macau, but it’s also reportedly keeping close tabs on any possible pro-gambling legal developments in Japan and Korea. The casino firm is one of the largest in the world, boasting dozens of gambling interests. With regards to Japan; “There’s a growing consensus there that gaming will be expanded, and we plan to participate in that process. I think our operating and development expertise as well as our ability to be good partners are great advantages for us,” MGM CEO Jim Murren…