Japan could top Singapore’s casino market

CEO of MGM Resorts International said that three IRs in Japan could generate more money than Singapore’s industry.

Japan.- James Murren, chief executive of Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International, talked to nikkei Asian Review after the House of Representatives passed a gambling bill on Friday and said that the local market could end up being one of the biggest in the continent.

“The pace of implementation has started to accelerate,” said the CEO of MGM, which will seek a casino licence in Japan once there is a firm legislation and the bidding process starts. If the bill sees its passage, companies and municipalities that have been silent up until recently would start moving, explained Murren. “[Three IRs] would generate billions of dollars, making the market vastly larger than Singapore,” he added.

MGM has said in the past that it would prioritise local Japanese partners to operate an integrated resort in the country. Murren said that he has been in contact with hundreds of Japanese companies and that an MGM resort in the country “will be definitely designed with Japanese architect, outfitted with Japanese interior designers and artists, and powered by Japanese technology.”