The Japanese Mean "American" Business

Nevada regulators have permitted a Japanese slot machine manufacture to not only manufacture, but distribute and operate gambling devices within the state.  The permanent slot machine license was issued to billionaire Kazuo Okada’s Aruze Gaming America Inc.  The Aruze Corp subsidiary was awarded the permanent slot machine license after a two-year limited license trial period in order to confirm its ability to respond sufficiently to all inquiries by the Nevada Gaming Control Board.  Aruze Corp. is a pachinko machine  manufacturer based out of Tokyo.

Bob Faiss, an Aruze attorney, explains, “There had been cultural differences, language problems, changes in staff.  The board gave a two-year license to give Aruze a chance to show it had corrected all the problems.”  The gaming control board mandated, as a part of the licensing agreement, that Aruze keep a bilingual liaison on staff to communicated between the company and regulators.

Aruze is now much closer to its goal of vending slot machines in the United States after the boards unanimous vote.  Upon achieving said goal, Aruze would be in direct competition with big name slots manufactures like Illinois’ WMS Industries Inc. and Reno’s International Game Technology and Waukegan.  Arzue submitted its slot machine platform, just last week, to a regulatory lab.  Average lab testing consumes anywhere between six and nine months.

Director of Aruze Gaming, Sandra Placak said, “Hopefully in 2007, we’ll get all our approvals and start selling nationwide.”  Although Arzue Gaming is based in Las Vegas, they possess gambling manufacturing licenses in both New Jersey and Mississippi.  Forbes magazine reported Kazuo Okada and his family’s net worth as $1.2 billion.  They own about 24.5 percent of Wynn Resorts Ltd shares.  Okada himself is vice chairman of the Wynn Resort Ltd. board.  Wynn is prepping to open a new casino resort this September in Macau.  The casino will use Aruze slot machines.