Japan to delay IR proposals by 6-12 months

According to authorities in Nagasaki, the national government is planning to postpone the period to accept proposals for IR developments.

Japan.- The national government plans to delay the period during which prefectures can deliver their integrated resorts proposals by between six and 12 months, according to authorities in Nagasaki.

Nagasaki prefecture said that, according to a survey conducted among casino operators, a large majority of the firms supported Nagasaki’s own decision to pause its request-for-proposal (RFP) process.

This pause is directly related to the fact that national policy for IR development has not yet been published, leaving prefectures and potential private partners in the dark over the ground rules for bids.

Three IRs will be permitted nationally in the first phase of liberalisation in Japan. The policy has been presented as a stimulus for regional economies, intended to attract tourists.

However, the calendar for the introduction of IRs has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent assumption of a new prime minister.