Hokkaido is to send a questionnaire during the current quarter to all 179 municipalities in the Japanese prefecture, as well to selected casino operators and to financial institutions, on the subject of an integrated resort (IR) with casino.
That is according to information reviewed by GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent. The survey is due to be distributed between July and August, per the document.
The content of the questionnaire has not yet been made public. Given the intended recipients, it is expected to gauge interest in Hokkaido hosting an IR, noted GGRAsia’s correspondent.
In June, the prefectural government released a preliminary draft of its policy framework on the IR topic, setting out the purpose and direction of a potential casino resort. But it stopped short of committing to a bid.
The next IR application window set by the national government – open to prefectures and so-called ordinance-level cities – runs from May 6, 2027 to November 5, 2027.
On July 16, Hokkaido held the fifth meeting of its ‘IR expert panel’. According to information reviewed by GGRAsia’s correspondent, the meeting focused on consolidating ideas and opinions on the preliminary draft of ‘The basic stance on IR of Hokkaido prefecture’ and ‘The Hokkaido-Style IR Concept’.
During the gathering, a key topic was ‘gambling addiction countermeasures’.
Noriko Tanaka, representative director of a body called The Society Concerned about Gambling Addiction, made a presentation comparing Japan’s proposed institutional framework and responsible gambling measures with those already in place in Singapore, which has operated a casino duopoly since 2010.
In Singapore, the Ministry of Social and Family Development oversees the National Council on Problem Gambling, the body executing casino exclusions and visit limits.
Hokkaido plans to submit in September draft versions of ‘The basic stance on IR of Hokkaido prefecture’ and ‘The Hokkaido-Style IR Concept’ to the prefectural assembly. Both documents are scheduled to be finalised in October.
In the third quarter last year, the prefecture conducted a survey to its 179 municipalities to assess support for Hokkaido hosting an IR.
Two municipalities – Tomakomai city and Hakodate city – respectively said they were “interested in having an IR” in their own area.
A further 79 municipalities said they supported the idea of Hokkaido hosting an IR in principle, while the remaining 98 said they were not interested.
In September last year, however, the mayor of Hakodate said the city, located on the southwest coast of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island, was currently in “no position” to pursue an IR bid.
That left Tomakomai as the only municipality still expressing interest. The port city on Hokkaido’s south central coast had voiced enthusiasm in the run-up to the first round of applications, but ultimately the prefectural government decided in November 2019 not to take part.
The JPY1.51-trillion (US$9.30-billion currently) MGM Osaka is the only Japanese IR so far approved. It is due to open in 2030.
