Japan IRs to open at end of the decade

The tender process for Japan’s proposed three casino licences has been officially delayed by nine months.

Japan.- The Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has approved a draft basic policy to launch integrated resorts (IR).

According to that document, the first IRs in Japan will not open before the late 2020s. That takes into account a process that includes environmental assessment and construction.

A cabinet resolution on the draft is expected by next week.

During the latest meeting, the LDP also reconfirmed that the period for cities to present bids for one of the three casino licences will run from October 1, 2021, to April 28, 2022.

The process was originally supposed to take place in 2021 but was delayed by nine months due to the pandemic.

The Japan Tourism Agency has presented a new draft of its basic policy for IR private partner selection, including several new health and safety measures regarding the spreading of viruses and gambling harm.