Japan has given the go-ahead to build the country’s first casino. The complex will be in the western city of Osaka and will open in 2029. Casinos have been illegal in Japan for a long time, but a law passed in 2018 allowed some games, like poker and baccarat. The idea is to make more jobs and attract more tourists. Some people are worried that more gambling might cause more crime and addiction. The casino complex will be very big, with a hotel, conference centre, shopping mall and museum. The plan is for the casino to attract around 20 million visitors every year and bring in lots of money to the region. The project will cost a lot of money – about $13.5 billion – and two big companies will own most of the casino.
Original news source: Japan approves plan to open its first casino (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– What If?
Instructions:
Ask students to imagine they are in charge of building the casino in Osaka. Have them brainstorm ideas for what else they could include in the complex to attract even more visitors. Encourage them to think outside the box and use their creativity.
– News Headlines
Instructions:
Write the following headlines on the board:
– Japan approves first-ever casino
– Osaka to be home of new casino complex
– Casino to bring in millions of tourists
– Concerns over gambling addiction and crime
– Casino to include hotel, conference center, shopping mall, and museum
Have students work in pairs or small groups to come up with news articles based on these headlines. They can use the information from the article to write a short news story or report.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions:
Write the following question on the board: What are the pros and cons of building a casino in Osaka? Have students work in pairs or small groups to brainstorm as many pros and cons as they can think of. Write their ideas on a table on the board with two columns, one for pros and one for cons. As a class, discuss each idea and its potential impact on the region.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Where will the first casino in Japan be built?
2. When will the casino open?
3. Were casinos legal in Japan before?
4. What kind of games were allowed by the law passed in 2018?
5. Why does Japan want to build a casino?
6. What are some people worried about with more gambling?
7. What will be included in the casino complex?
8. How many visitors is the casino supposed to attract every year?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Japan has given the go-ahead to build the country’s first (1)_________. The complex will be in the western city of Osaka and will open in (2)_________. Casinos have been illegal in Japan for a long time, but a law passed in 2018 allowed some games, like (3)_________ and baccarat. The idea is to make more jobs and (4)_________ more tourists. Some people are worried that more gambling might cause more (5)_________ and addiction. The casino complex will be very big, with a (6)_________, conference centre, shopping mall and museum. The plan is for the casino to attract around 20 million visitors every year and bring in lots of (7)_________ to the region. The project will cost a lot of money – about $13.5 (8)_________ – and two big companies will own most of the casino.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What do you think are the benefits of having a casino in Japan?
2. Have you ever been to a casino?
3. What do you think about the new casino in Japan?
4. Do you think the casino will bring more tourists to Japan?
5. What do you think about the idea of making more jobs with the new casino?
6. Do you think there might be more crime with the new casino?
7. Have you ever been to Osaka?
8. What do you think about the casino having a hotel, conference centre, shopping mall and museum?
9. Would you like to visit the casino when it opens?
10. Do you think the casino will be good for the economy?
11. What do you think about the casino costing a lot of money – about $13.5 billion?
12. Do you think the casino will make a lot of money?
13. What do you think about the two big companies owning most of the casino?
14. Do you think the casino will be popular with Japanese people?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. casino
2. illegal
3. addiction
4. complex
5. conference centre
6. museum
7. tourists
8. shopping mall
Meanings:
A) A building with rooms and equipment for meetings, lectures, and events
B) When a person cannot stop doing something, even if it is bad for them
C) People who visit a place for pleasure or interest, usually from another town or country
D) A large building with many parts, such as a hotel, shops, and restaurants
E) Against the law
F) A place where people can play games and gamble
G) A building where people go to learn about history, art, or science
H) A place with many stores and shops in one area
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Where will Japan’s first casino be built?
(a) Tokyo
(b) Osaka
(c) Kyoto
(d) Hiroshima
2. When will the casino in Osaka open?
(a) 2019
(b) 2020
(c) 2028
(d) 2029
3. Why were casinos illegal in Japan for a long time?
(a) They were too expensive.
(b) They caused too much traffic.
(c) They were considered immoral.
(d) They were too noisy.
4. What games were allowed in Japan after the 2018 law was passed?
(a) Chess and checkers.
(b) Poker and baccarat.
(c) Roulette and blackjack.
(d) Monopoly and Scrabble.
5. Why does Japan want to build a casino in Osaka?
(a) To create more jobs and attract more tourists.
(b) To improve transportation.
(c) To build a new concert hall.
(d) To create more housing.
6. What are some concerns about building a casino in Japan?
(a) It might cause more traffic.
(b) It might cause more pollution.
(c) It might cause more crime and addiction.
(d) It might cause more earthquakes.
7. What will the casino complex in Osaka include?
(a) A theme park
(b) A zoo
(c) A hotel, conference centre, shopping mall, and museum
(d) A swimming pool
8. How much will the casino project in Osaka cost?
(a) $1.5 billion
(b) $5.5 billion
(c) $10.5 billion
(d) $13.5 billion
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. Japan is going to build a casino in Osaka.
2. Casinos have been legal in Japan for a long time.
3. The new casino will have a hotel, conference centre, shopping mall, and museum.
4. The casino is expected to bring in a lot of money and tourists.
5. Three companies will own most of the casino.
6. The casino will open in 2039.
7. Some people are worried about more crime and addiction because of the casino.
8. The casino project will cost about $13.5 billion.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. Where is Japan going to build its first casino?
2. When is the casino going to open?
3. Why do some people worry about more gambling?
4. What will be in the casino complex besides the casino?
5. How much money will it cost to build the casino complex?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. Where will the first casino in Japan be built?
– The first casino in Japan will be built in the western city of Osaka.
2. When will the casino open?
– The casino will open in 2029.
3. Were casinos legal in Japan before?
– No, casinos were illegal in Japan before.
4. What kind of games were allowed by the law passed in 2018?
– The law passed in 2018 allowed some games like poker and baccarat.
5. Why does Japan want to build a casino?
– Japan wants to build a casino to make more jobs and attract more tourists.
6. What are some people worried about with more gambling?
– Some people are worried that more gambling might cause more crime and addiction.
7. What will be included in the casino complex?
– The casino complex will include a hotel, conference center, shopping mall, and museum.
8. How many visitors is the casino supposed to attract every year?
– The casino is supposed to attract around 20 million visitors every year.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. casino
2. 2029
3. poker
4. attract
5. crime
6. hotel
7. money
8. billion
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. casino
Answer: F) A place where people can play games and gamble
2. illegal
Answer: E) Against the law
3. addiction
Answer: B) When a person cannot stop doing something, even if it is bad for them
4. complex
Answer: D) A large building with many parts, such as a hotel, shops, and restaurants
5. conference centre
Answer: A) A building with rooms and equipment for meetings, lectures, and events
6. museum
Answer: G) A building where people go to learn about history, art, or science
7. tourists
Answer: C) People who visit a place for pleasure or interest, usually from another town or country
8. shopping mall
Answer: H) A place with many stores and shops in one area
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Where will Japan’s first casino be built?
Answer: (b) Osaka
2. When will the casino in Osaka open?
Answer: (d) 2029
3. Why were casinos illegal in Japan for a long time?
Answer: (c) They were considered immoral.
4. What games were allowed in Japan after the 2018 law was passed?
Answer: (b) Poker and baccarat.
5. Why does Japan want to build a casino in Osaka?
Answer: (a) To create more jobs and attract more tourists.
6. What are some concerns about building a casino in Japan?
Answer: (c) It might cause more crime and addiction.
7. What will the casino complex in Osaka include?
Answer: (c) A hotel, conference centre, shopping mall, and museum.
8. How much will the casino project in Osaka cost?
Answer: (d) $13.5 billion
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Japan is going to build a casino in Osaka.
Answer: True
2. Casinos have been legal in Japan for a long time.
Answer: False
3. The new casino will have a hotel, conference center, shopping mall, and museum.
Answer: True
4. The casino is expected to bring in a lot of money and tourists.
Answer: True
5. Three companies will own most of the casino.
Answer: False
6. The casino will open in 2039.
Answer: False
7. Some people are worried about more crime and addiction because of the casino.
Answer: True
8. The casino project will cost about $13.5 billion.
Answer: True
Go back to questions ⇧
