Nagasaki prefecture – last year passed over by the Japanese authorities as a host for a casino resort – received earlier this month a “questionnaire” from the Japan Tourism Agency regarding the country’s policy of having integrated resorts (IRs) each with a casino.
That is according to Kengo Oishi (pictured in a file photo), the prefecture’s governor, speaking at a regular press briefing on Friday.
GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent outlined that in the run-up to the initial IR application phase, the tourism agency had sent out a questionnaire – with a mid-September 2019 deadline – about the IR policy, to all 47 prefectures and 20 ordinance-designated cities deemed capable of hosting one. The initial application window for hosting an IR – though delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic – opened in October 2021.
Mr Oishi did not confirm however in his comments, whether the new questionnaire from the national authorities might signal the countdown to a new application phase for additional casino resort licences. Shigeru Ishiba, a pro-IR politician, was recently confirmed as the new prime minister of Japan, despite a snap election that saw the Liberal Democratic Party lose seats.
The IR topic came up on Friday when Mr Oishi was asked about it by the media. Nagasaki was one of only two localities – the other being Osaka prefecture and city – to make an application to the central authorities to host an IR in an initial phase, but its application was not approved.
Mr Oishi said: “In early November, the prefecture received a questionnaire regarding the IR policy from the Japan Tourism Agency,” a body under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
He added: “The prefecture cannot make any comment on the questionnaire.”
The governor also noted: “The current stance on the IR policy remains unchanged. That is to say, it is a high hurdle to make a new application with a new IR District Development Plan because it would require of the prefecture, huge costs and efforts again and the examination by the [tourism] agency [involves a] great [degree of] discretion,” and has “low foreseeability” in terms of outcome.
Up to three IRs were envisaged for Japan initially, but so far only MGM Osaka, a JPY1.27-trillion (US$8.23-billion currently) venture has been approved, and is being built with the aim of a 2030 launch date.
A number of commentators on Japan, recently told GGRAsia that a further phase of applications would benefit from clarity and stability in Japanese national politics.
