Japanese cities compete for casino license

Casino legislation is near its final approval and several cities are competing to obtain the gaming license.

Japan.- Local cities have officially started the competition to obtain the casino license for the upcoming Japanese market. Rinku Town in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture, Wakayama Marina City in Wakayama Prefecture and Yumeshima island in Osaka Bay have been named as the newest bidders for the development of integrated resorts.

The Japanese government is assessing regulations that could be imposed to the gaming industry as more than half of residents are against the implementation of integrated resorts in the territory. The public hearings in Japan to define the future of the casino industry have led to divided opinions. Japanese residents presented their arguments to national authorities last week showing big concern about anti-problem gambling legislation. Next public hearings will be held in Sendai, Sapporo, Nagoya, Toyama and Takamatsu until August 29.

Meanwhile, as the Diet expects to approve the comprehensive legislation next autumn, representatives from different cities urged legislators to include their proposals on the casino bill that will be introduced to the Diet in September and could take effect by the end of the year.

“Recent media reports indicate the city of Osaka will need to pour large amounts of tax revenue into building infrastructure for Yumeshima. It’s time to return to one of the original ideas behind integrated resorts for Japan, which called for a tourism policy that didn’t eat up tax money,” commented Takunori Nishimura, a representative from Junior Chamber International Izumo, during his presentation in the public hearing.

The artificial island of Yumeshima was positioned as the most popular option to develop casino industry, as Las Vegas Sands Corp., MGM Resorts International, and especially Melco Resorts & Entertainment, have shown interest in investing in the city.