While the Japanese central authorities have recently taken major steps towards the imminent installation of the first large casino complexes on Japanese soil, strong enthusiasm has already arisen among local government authorities.
In fact, around forty municipalities across the country have already expressed their strong interest in welcoming one of these establishments into their fold.
Nearly 40 competitors for 3 casinos in Japan
According to local media reports, the upcoming establishment of casinos in Japan has attracted considerable interest from municipal officials across the country.
Around 40 of them are reportedly positioning their cities for the upcoming call for tenders for the construction of large leisure and gaming complexes. Such figures suggest fierce competition between the various applicants, given that the first phase of the project only provides for the granting of permits for three complexes initially.
It will then be necessary to wait between five and seven years after the launch of the first establishments for new licenses to be granted.
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Favorites, certainly, but nothing is decided yet.
Held at the beginning of August, the project’s explanatory meeting was attended by a much larger number of participants than expected. On this occasion, the firm in charge of the project’s study and implementation informed potential bidders that they should take the necessary steps now to ensure their applications are effectively considered.
He also announced that the Japanese government would be personally involved in the selection process to ensure it runs smoothly and efficiently. This should not displease major municipalities such as Osaka, which is considered the clear favorite in this tender. Tokyo and Yokohama, also in the running to host one of these leisure complexes, are also considered favorites.
But nothing is certain. Although many predict that many candidates will withdraw their applications by then, the predictions have so far been completely thwarted.
A few more years
But it will still be a few years before the first Japanese casino complexes actually appear. Indeed, after the Japanese Parliament has chosen the locations to house these establishments, the groups awarded the operating licenses will still have to be selected.
And at this stage too, competition is expected to be fierce among the various major international groups such as Sands International, Melco International , and MGM, among others. In total, 11 of them have already held nearly 200 meetings with the governor of the Osaka region since 2017.
Finally, once the licenses have been awarded to the selected operators, the plans for the complexes will need to be reviewed and approved before construction can begin. These last two stages will take between four and five years, or even longer.
So, there’s still a long way to go.
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