Oshidori International Holdings Ltd, Casinos Austria International Japan, and the Niki Chau Fwu (Parkview) Group are the three private-sector entities respectively to have qualified for the next portion of Nagasaki’s partner-selection process in that Japanese prefecture’s tilt at a casino resort.
That is according to an official announcement on Friday by the Nagasaki’s prefectural government. Earlier in the day, Nagasaki governor Hodo Nakamura had announced the result of the government’s review at a prefectural assembly session. The three were among the five commercial groups to have answered Nagasaki’s request-for-proposal (RFP) process regarding a casino complex or integrated resort (IR), as such facilities are known in that country.
Contenders not involved in the next stage are: Current Group; and One Kyushu, a consortium involving Tokyo-listed Pixel Companyz and French gaming operator Groupe Partouche SA.
The next stage involves what is termed “competitive dialogue” with would-be partners. A “probity test” on these private-sector entities is due to be held in May, according to GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent. The site for the planned IR facility is land within the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo city.
August has been identified by Nagasaki as the time for project presentations by the contenders. That would be followed by the actual selection of a partner, in order for the prefecture to make a submission by spring time of 2022 to the national government for permission to have an IR. Up to three such venues will be permitted in Japan to coincide with the opening up of the market.
Subsequently, the prefectural authorities are to conclude the IR implementation agreement with the private-sector partner in 2023 in order to start the construction works for the project, which is estimated to be launched in mid or late 2020s.
