Last month, Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan announced that five development partnerships responded to its request for proposals to build an integrated resort with gaming. At the time, four bidders were identified. Now the fifth has been named by Inside Asian Gaming: a consortium of the Niki of Japan and Chyau Fwu (Parkview) Group.
According to IAG, the Niki is an offshoot of the Niki Club, which previously ran a nature resort in Nasu, in Tochigi Prefecture; that resort closed in 2017 after 31 years. Chyau Fwu (Parkview) Group is associated with a Taiwanese development company called Chyau Fwu, founded in 1950. It has experience in the development and operation of meeting and convention facilities and office buildings in Asian cities including Beijing and Singapore. The group also developed the Wellness Resort in Okinawa and is currently developing a ski resort in Niseko, Hokkaido.
In an announcement posted on their website, the consortium confirmed they will apply to operate “a Kyushu-Nagasaki integrated resort. We will propose to build a Super Smart Community that makes full use of cutting-edge technology, centered on an IR in Sasebo City and spreading to Omura Bay. We aim to become the model case for a regionalized IR in Japan.” No other consortium partners have been disclosed.
The other four bidders include Casinos Austria; Pixel Companyz in collaboration with Groupe Partouche; a consortium consisting of multiple partners including Get Nice Holdings and Current Corp.; and Oshidori International Development and U.S. tribal casino operator Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment.
With the announcement of five contenders for Nagasaki, Akio Hayashi, CEO of Casinos Austria International said, “There are more rivals now, but the fact that Nagasaki is getting so much attention is a good thing. We will continue to do everything we can to pitch our security, safety and stability.”
In related news, European casino operator Groupe Barrière is believed to be out of the IR race in Wakayama. In 2019, Barrière said it was willing to invest as much as US$2.5 billion in the market. Covid-19 appears to have put an end to the plan, as Barrière did not reply to Wakayama’s RFP and is not expected to reply in Nagasaki either. Two companies replied to Wakayama’s RFP, Suncity Group Holdings and Clairvest Neem Ventures.
