Takeharu Yamanaka of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan anti-IR has won the mayoral elections in Yokohama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Japan.- Plans to develop an\u00a0integrated resort in Yokohama\u00a0<\/strong>are now in doubt after one of several anti-IR candidates won the mayoral elections held yesterday (Sunday August 22).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takeharu Yamanaka<\/strong>, who was chosen as\u00a0the candidate to represent the CDPJ<\/a>, has cleared the 25 per cent threshold of votes needed to avoid a second round.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The term of office of the mayor is four years<\/strong>, which means Yokohama is unlikely to participate in Japan’s first round of IR licences. Melco Resorts & Entertainment and\u00a0Genting Singapore<\/a>\u00a0were the two remaining candidates to be Yokohama’s partner for its bid.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Galaxy Entertainment<\/a>\u00a0had already dropped its bid claiming the business climate had been\u00a0\u201cexacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.\u201d<\/strong> Another contender,\u00a0Shotoku,\u00a0<\/strong>was dismissed after the Yokohama city government said\u00a0its bid was below minimum requirements<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yamanaka is 48 years old and\u00a0works as a professor at Yokohama City University<\/strong>. He specialises in public health and medical statistics and has worked on Covid-19 countermeasures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019s known to disagree with the development of an integrated resort, arguing that it could cause issues with gambling addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In June, analysts suggested that Yokohama’s possible withdrawal from the IR contest could leave the door open for Tokyo to bid for an integrated resort licence<\/a>. However, a survey by a local newspaper found that\u00a066 per cent in Tokyo are against an IR development<\/strong>\u00a0and only 24 per cent are in favour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Nagasaki Prefectural Government has recently selected Casinos Austria International<\/a> as its priority choice as a partner for its IR bid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The company\u2019s proposal scored 697.0 points<\/strong>. Niki Chau Fwu Group received 667.1 points, while\u00a0Oshidori International Holdings Ltd<\/a>, which had considered withdrawing from the process, received a score of 682.8 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The prefecture will\u00a0make a submission to Japan\u2019s national government by 2022\u00a0<\/strong>in its bid for permission to develop an integrated resort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In\u00a0Wakayama<\/a>,\u00a0Clairvest<\/strong>\u00a0Neem Ventures\u00a0<\/strong>has presented its integrated resort plans to the Wakayama Prefectural Government. In June, authorities accepted\u00a0Clairvest<\/a>\u00a0as its IR partner after\u00a0Suncity Group<\/a>, the only other contender, withdrew from the process\u00a0due to uncertainty caused by the impact of the Covid-19\u00a0<\/strong>pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clairvest<\/a>\u00a0has partnered with\u00a0Groupe Partouche SA<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0AMSE Resorts Japan Co to form a consortium for its bid.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In\u00a0Osaka<\/a>,\u00a0MGM-Orix<\/strong>\u00a0has officially submitted its IR proposal<\/a>\u00a0to the Osaka Prefecture. Authorities are expected to approve the company as a private partner for Osaka\u2019s IR bid in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\nJapan’s current IR bids status<\/h2>\n\n\n\n