Japanese government unveils updated integrated casino resort timetable

The government for Japan has reportedly announced that will not be starting the official process that is to designate the host communities for the nation’s coming trio of integrated casino resorts until at least January of 2021.

According to a Tuesday story from GGRAsia citing multiple earlier reports from Kyodo News, the revelation from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism included a start date of January 4, 2021, with interested localities then subsequently having until the end of the ensuing July to lodge their official proposals.

Interminable intermission:

GGRAsia reported that the government of Japan then envisions running an around 24-week public consultation process after which a panel of federal selectors is to unveil their final three choices as well as an updated timetable. As most integrated casino resorts take up to four full years to construct, this could purportedly mean that punters may now have to wait until the end of 2025 before being able to visit the Asian country’s first Las Vegas-style gambling venue.

Collaborator connections:

Although most gambling is currently illegal in Japan, the coalition government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed legislation in July of last year that is to see the nation of some 126 million people offer up a trio of casino licenses. In order to be selected as a host for one of these coming large-scale facilities, which are locally known as integrated casino resorts, communities are being required to partner with an experienced foreign operator before submitting their final plans to the federal government’s Japan Tourism Agency.

Opportune interval:

The new timeline moreover means that prospective bidders now have the entirety of next year to select their prospective operating partners, finalize their designs and formulate ways to ensure that such a facility will create jobs and enrich the overall economy.

Prominent pair:

Kyodo News also declared that Japanese ministers consider the prospective integrated casino resort plans being prepared by officials for the large cities of Osaka and Yokohama to be the most advanced. The former is purportedly hopeful of being given permission to bring its gambling facility to a 121-acre plot of reclaimed land on Yumeshima Island while the latter has designated a 116-acre waterfront parcel near Yamashita Park as its preferred location.

Early tender:

However, this pair is expected to face stiff competition for one of the three casino licenses from up to eight other runners encompassing communities such as Nagoya, Sasebo and Chiba. For this reason and to better prepare itself to host the upcoming World Expo 2025, Osaka is purportedly mulling over the prospect of submitting its completed bid before the federal government releases its finalized criteria in January of 2021.