The three private-sector entities that had already been qualified in Nagasaki’s first round of evaluation in March for the prefecture’s tilt at hosting a casino resort, are now to go through a second-round screening, reported on Tuesday, local Japanese-language media outlet, Nagasaki Shimbun.
They were reported as: Oshidori International Holdings Ltd; Casinos Austria International Japan; and Niki Chyau Fwu (Parkview) Group. All had submitted the necessary documents for the second round, reported Nagasaki Shimbun, citing sources involved in the matter.
Nagasaki prefecture’s chosen site for its effort to get a casino resort, is an earmarked zone at Huis Ten Bosch theme park, in Sasebo city.
The second-round screening would look at each bidder’s business strategy, and its “management system” as well as its proposals for measures to tackle gambling-addiction issues, the Japanese media outlet stated.
A spokesperson for the IR Promotion Division at Nagasaki prefecture, told GGRAsia by email in response to our enquiry, that while those elements were an “important” part of the local government’s second-stage review, the exercise was “more wide-ranging” than the report had suggested.
The spokesperson noted: “The national IR Basic Policy consists of evaluation criteria related to internationally-competitive and sustainable IR operations which can realise economic, social and tourism-related goals, and also effectively handle concerns in the community.”
The Nagasaki authorities have earmarked August as the time for project presentations by the contenders. That is to be followed by the actual selection of a partner, in order for the prefecture to make a submission by spring time of 2022 to the national government for permission to have an IR.
Local governments in Japan must first choose a private-sector partner, and then apply to the national government for the right to have such a gaming resort, also known in the country as integrated resort (IR).
Up to three IRs will be permitted in the nation under the framework established.
(Updated 3.30pm, June 23)
