Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture has seen, as of Friday, a total of four entities confirm participation in its request-for-concept (RFC) process regarding a possible casino resort scheme on land at the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo city.
The information was confirmed to GGRAsia by prefectural officials that handled the exercise. Sasebo city (pictured) is part of the prefecture’s administrative area. In Japan large-scale casino complexes with conference space, hotels, shopping and entertainment are known as integrated resorts or “IRs”.
The Nagasaki officials said three entities: Japanese firm Current Corp; gaming operator Casinos Austria International Japan Inc; and Oshidori International Development Ltd, were willing to have their names disclosed in relation to the RFC phase, while a fourth presently preferred not to.
“The RFC application period…closed on Friday with four confirmed applicants,” said the officials’ email to us.
It added, referring to a steering group regarding the IR initiative, and indicating talks with more than four entities had taken place: “The Nagasaki Prefecture and Sasebo City Joint Council for the Promotion of Integrated Resort was able to communicate with a larger number of operators during the process”
“The [Joint] Council will continue the IR operator selection process in conjunction with regulatory updates from the central government,” the officials noted.
Nagasaki had launched in early October the RFC exercise relating to a 31-hectare (77-acre) site at Huis Ten Bosch, an attraction that includes Dutch-style architecture and gardens.
The qualifications of the confirmed RFC participants are presently being reviewed by Nagasaki prefecture. The entities have until January 10, 2020 to submit their RFC proposal documentation. Following this date, there will be dialogue between the involved parties with the local government.
Japan’s national government would not start accepting for consideration local authorities’ plans for integrated resorts until January 4, 2021, according to the country’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The proposed closing date for such submissions would be July 30, 2021.
A senior official of Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture emphasised to GGRAsia in a recent interview that the key governments in the Kyushu region – where Nagasaki prefecture is located – are fully backing Sasebo city as the local candidate location for an integrated resort.
