Soo Kim (pictured), chairman of United States-based casino and online gaming operator Bally’s Corp, says Japan is “an extremely attractive market” and that “if the opportunity arises, we’ll definitely raise our hand,” regarding the potential for investment in an integrated resort (IR) with casino in that country. He was quoted on Friday by Japanese news outlet Nikkei.
Mr Kim was cited saying: “Japan has a large population and is an extremely attractive market.”
Nikkei reported that Mr Kim was, in the outlet’s words, “keeping a close eye on developments” regarding the possibility of developing additional casino resorts in Japan.
In March 2022 – just before the deadline for Japanese local governments to pitch to the national authorities for the right to host an IR in a first application round – Bally’s Corp had expressed interest in developing an IR in Fukuoka, a city located on the northern coast of Kyushu, Japan’s most southerly main island.
In December that year, a senior local official seemed to rule out the prospects of an IR in Fukuoka.
Since December last year, Mr Kim – full name Soohyung Kim – has also been chairman of Australian casino operator The Star Entertainment Group Ltd.
The latest comments by Mr Kim come soon after Aichi prefecture, on Japan’s main island, Honshu, launched a request-for-opinion process regarding a possible IR at Chubu Centrair International Airport Island, a marine reclamation site just south of Nagoya.
A new national round for applications by local governments has been provisionally scheduled by the national authorities for May 6, 2027, to November 5 that year.
In mid-February the prefectural authorities in Japan’s northernmost main island Hokkaido said they may earmark JPY9.98 million (US$64,000 currently) for research and a review on having a casino resort.
