Japan city pushes for an integrated resort

Iwanuma’s city council said that an integrated resort could help the area recover from a 2011 tsunami.

Japan.- The Iwanuma City Council passed a motion late last month to begin a study regarding a possible bid for an integrated resort (IR) in the area. The council believes that a gambling facility in Iwanuma could help them recover from the devastating tsunami from 2011.

The document from the council’s motion details that “there is a strong necessity that the Tohoku region quickly invites an IR,” as Asian Gaming Brief revealed. This is part of the recovery process from the Great East Japan Earthquake for the prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima. Also, the Tohoku region is facing severe depopulation and aging, and it has fallen behind the rest of the country in terms of developing its tourism industry. The need for something to drive forward our tourism industry is clear,” it continues.

The entity said that one of the advantages of bringing a casino to Iwanuma is the proximity to Tohoku region and the Sendai Airport, which is located on the city border. Whilst it is pretty certain that the city will push for a license, there are no other cities in Tohoku that expressed their support.

The international advisory firm focused on the gaming industry, Union Gaming, has been assessing the Japanese casino development since legislators took into account national debates on the issue. For the second time in one month, the firm has shared a study on the industry by one of its analysts, Grant Govertsen, who concluded that the government is planning a strict control on casinos.