MGM focuses on Japan
The chief executive of the company said that Japan and Macau are the most interesting markets in Asia.
Japan.- James Murren, CEO of MGM Resorts International, said that Japan and Macau are the markets that interest the company the most among Asian countries. Last month, the company launched a Japanese website in order to showcase the benefits that IRs can bring to local communities.
“Japan and Macau are the only major interests we have,” said Murren, as it is focused on getting a casino license in Japan and expanding operations in Macau. The CEO confirmed that he visited the former 15 times in the last three years to meet potential business partners.
“We don’t need to be in every market that allows for resorts. I think regulatory, economic, cultural and social opportunities in Japan are vastly greater than what we would find interesting in the Philippines.”
The CEO said in September during a presentation at The Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2017 Japan Conference that a consortium to manage a casino in the Asian country would be Japanese-led, even though he didn’t specify if MGM would only look for a minority stake. During the briefing, the CEO said that the opening date for a casino might be pushed to 2025, and that the government selection of business operator parents is likely to happen sometime next year, with the concession of licenses from the government happening a year later.
