Three IR licenses up for grabs
The operator of the sole casino resort in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has disclosed it will join the small army of global gaming operators who want to win a casino license in Japan.
According to Inside Asian Gaming, Hong Kong-listed Imperial International Holdings Ltd., operator of the Imperial Pacific Resort on the island of Saipan, will vie with powerhouse firms including Melco Resorts & Entertainment, the Las Vegas Sands Corp., MGM Resorts International, Hard Rock International, Galaxy Entertainment Group and Genting to make a bid on a Japan casino license.
The company had a presence at the Japan Gaming Congress in Tokyo, May 10-11, where it planned to make friends and hopefully influence Japanese decision-makers, including prefectural representatives in attendance. In a statement, IPI said it would present itself “as a seasoned and successful operator in the integrated resort industry.”
“This effort will display Imperial Pacific’s ability to operate successful integrated resorts, a requirement for those wishing to consider an entry into the Japanese IR market,” the company said.
Lu Tsai, senior vice president of operations for IPI, said in a statement, “We are excited to be involved in the Japan Gaming Congress this year and look forward to showcasing Imperial Pacific’s successes in Saipan. We also have a variety of plans aimed at further developing the Japanese market, a key inbound market for our future expansion. We plan to look at a variety of opportunities to further our tourism and destination marketing opportunities within the country.”
Lu hopes to meet with government officials to discuss the potential for Japan-Saipan tourism as well as the future of the integrated resort industry in Japan.
