Tokyo, 14 April, /AJMEDIA/
The government on Friday approved a plan to open what will be Japan’s first casino resort in Osaka, marking a major advance in the nation’s long-running saga over the introduction of so-called integrated resorts.
Under the plan put forward by the Osaka prefectural and city governments, the integrated resort, or IR, comprised of a large hotel, conference rooms and gambling areas, is expected to open on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay between the fall and winter of 2029.
“In addition to contributing to the development of the Kansai region following the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, we hope (the casino) will become a tourism base that promotes Japan’s charms to the world,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, while stressing the need for ministers to implement measures against gambling addiction.
The opening of the casino will be formally confirmed with the completion of various procedures, such as the signing of an agreement with a contractor, assessment by the Japan Casino Regulatory Commission and granting of licenses.
But there is still a need to overcome persistent local worries about gambling addiction and a possible increase in crime.
The resort, created in partnership with MGM Resorts International of the United States and Japan’s Orix Corp., is expected to attract around 20 million visitors annually and bring 1.14 trillion yen ($8.6 billion) in annual economic benefits to the region.
Meanwhile, a similar plan submitted by Nagasaki Prefecture to host an IR remains under review.
Authorities from both Osaka and Nagasaki last year submitted plans to the central government to open casinos in their respective regions.
An expert panel of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism assessed the plans based on a 1,000-point scale that required a score of at least 600 points to gain approval.
Osaka’s plan received 657.9 points after assessments of its policies regarding the construction of an international conference center and the positive economic effects the wider project is likely to bring.
But the panel called for continued monitoring, given there are concerns about land subsidence, and said effective measures to prevent gambling addiction were needed upon giving the nod.
Nagasaki’s plan included opening a casino at its Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch seaside resort. It estimated the facility could draw 8.4 million visitors annually and bring in 330 billion yen in economic benefits to the southwestern Japan region.
However, uncertainty about the prefecture’s scheme for securing funding is believed to be a reason why the review of Nagasaki’s proposal is dragging on.
