Yokohama to set aside US$3.4m for casino

The city of Yokohama will dedicate the funds to a resorts development plan, the search for a private partner and public promotion of the property.

Japan.- Yokohama City has announced its draft budget for the 2021 financial year in which it reveals plans to set aside JPY360m (US$3.4m) for the city’s planned integrated resort.

The funds, designated to the Urban Development Bureau, would finance the resorts development plan as well as Yokohama’s request-for-approval process to select a private operator partner.

Research on infrastructure and transport access will also be financed by the budget.

In addition, a large proportion of the funds is expected to be used to promote public understanding of the planned casino resort after a number of groups have lobbied against it.

Yukio Edano, head of the Casino Problem Countermeasures HQ, criticised Yokohama City’s decision to reject public calls for a referendum on its intended bid to host an IR.

The opposition mayoral candidate for the city, Masataka Ota, has said he will run his campaign on an anti-casino ticket.