Nagasaki residents back IR

An official poll reveals that residents of the Japanese city of Nagasaki are in favour of casino development.

Japan.- Residents of Nagasaki have shown their support for casino development in the city once national legislators approve the projects. The casino industry is expected to flourish throughout Japan once congress legalises gaming operations, although the bill can’t take effect until several regulations are also approved by the government.

The official poll – held by local newspaper Nagasaki Shimbun – showed that 46.6 percent of Nagasaki residents are in favour of casino development in the city, with the key proposal being to turn the current Huis Ten Bosch theme park into an integrated resort casino (38.2 per cent of city’s residents have opposed to the project).

Current Nagasaki Governor Hodo Nakamura began his second term in the position in 2014. Nakamura is an independent backed by the Liberal Democratic Party and has stated that he will also support casino operations in Nagasaki once the national government passes final legislations ruling the market.

However, Nakamura’s rival in the elections, Toshihiko Haraguchi, has revealed strong opposition to casino legalisation. Because of this, the city would only be able to approve or reject gaming proposals once the results of next month’s Nagasaki elections are confirmed.

Although casino legalisation has not yet taken effect in Japan due to several discussions around further regulations, the cities that are interested in developing a legal gaming market are now planning how to implement the law within the following months.