Wakayama makes its case for an IR bid
A local lawmaker has strongly advocated for a development to land in the area and highlighted the prefecture’s merits for it.
Japan.- The casino industry is set to land soon in Japan but the areas where venues will be developed are yet to be determined. As many are still undecided on whether they want a casino or not, Wakayama politicians have voiced their strong stance on the matter and called for an integrated resort (IR) to be developed in the prefecture.
“How many of the people have seen a real IR with their own eyes,” ruling party House of Representatives lawmaker from Wakayama Hirofumi Kado stated, “or experienced it in their own skin? And in this context of little understanding, the word ‘IR’ is arbitrarily dwarfed by the word ‘casino’ and the word ‘gambling’ simply conjures up worries about addiction.”
According to Kado, public works haven’t been sufficient to create investments needed for the local economy yet but argued that IR developments would.
“There are many who say that Wakayama suffers from a shortage of work and employment. I believe that an IR would be a highly attractive option for overcoming this adversity. Since an investment of several hundred billion yen would be involved, we can expect immeasurable effects in terms of consumption and tax revenues,” he added.
