Hokkaido and Nagasaki prefectures “might be interested, among others,” in seeking to host an integrated resort (IR) with casino, in any new round applications opened by the country’s national government, said Kyodo News, a news agency, in a Sunday report.
The media outlet said the national authorities “started to consider implementing a survey to all the prefectures (47) and the ordinance-designated cities (20) regarding whether they are interested in having an IR or not”.
That was a reference to the level of local-government unit entitled to apply to host an IR, under Japan’s casino-liberalisation arrangements.
“If there are any local governments which are interested in having one, the Japan Tourism Agency – under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism – should launch another application window,” stated the news outlet, without citing a specific source, according to the story reviewed by GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent.
The media source observed: “The government will set the application window by a cabinet order, while looking into the political situation, after it launches a public comment gathering process.”
Such application window could open in as early as 2026, said Kyodo News.
On Friday, Naomichi Suzuki, the governor of Hokkaido, said at a press conference, according to a posting on the prefectural government’s official media portal: “The prefecture is going to present an outline of revisions to ‘the basic stance on IR of Hokkaido prefecture’ – made in calendar year 2019 – to the prefectural assembly in the session that will start in November.”
In 2019, Hokkaido had decided not to put itself forward for the first round IR applications in Japan.
Friday’s statement noted that its updated policy position would include “changes from calendar year 2019 up to now, including online casino and gambling addiction issues, the economic effect of an IR, functions in an IR facility, size of an IR, sustainable business operation, and advantages/disadvantages” of hosting a casino complex.
Mr Suzuki added: “At the same time, the prefecture will go ahead with establishing a Hokkaido IR concept and making requests to the [national] government.”
“The prefecture has put the IR policy in the Hokkaido Comprehensive Plan. Therefore, the prefecture is going to work on the IR policy accordingly,” he added.
Japan has been without a prime minister since September 7, when Shigeru Ishiba resigned. On Saturday, his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected a new leader, Sanae Takaichi. As per multiple news outlets, she is expected to replace Mr Ishiba as prime minister – and become the first woman to take the role – since the LDP remains the largest party in parliament.
In June, the commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, Naoya Haraikawa, had been cited by the Hokkaido Shimbun news outlet, as saying a new round of applications for local governments hoping to host an IR, “should not be far off”.
The only IR approved in a first-round application process was MGM Osaka, a venture between MGM Resorts International and Japan’s Orix Corp, along with smaller contributions from other local corporations.
The Osaka authorities announced in mid-September that the total investment in MGM Osaka is now expected to reach JPY1.51 trillion (US$10.04 billion currently).
When the first-round process was concluded in December 2023, a proposal from Nagasaki was not adopted by the national authorities, citing uncertainty about funding.
In November last year, Nagasaki prefecture’s governor, Kengo Oishi, had confirmed receiving a survey document from the authorities about the IR topic.
