Ever since Japan first legalized integrated resorts in December 2016, pundits have speculated where the initial IRs will be located. To date, just three communities—Osaka, Wakayama Prefecture and Nagasaki Prefecture—have indicated serious interest in hosting one of the properties.
According to the Kyodo News Agency, 40 local governments indicated they have “no plans to apply,” and “dozens more are reluctant to do so amid concerns over public safety,” a reference to widespread public concerns that legal casino gaming will kick off waves of compulsive gambling and the social ills that sometimes accompany it>
Japan’s Integrated Resorts Implementation Act requires local governments to formally declare themselves as potential host sites; those local governments must also select business partners.
While there’s no rush to join the line right now, that could change, reports GGRAsia. Nagoya, a city in Aichi Prefecture is said to be “positively considering making an application” for an IR with authorities seeking “a suitable location.” Other candidates reportedly include Tokyo, Hokkaido, Ibaraki Prefecture and the cities of Chiba and Yokohama. According to Kyodo News, 17 local governments remain “undecided” on the matter.
Osaka is by all accounts a logical candidate, having won its bid to host the 2025 World Expo. CDC Gaming Reports, citing “a variety of public and private sources,” noted that Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay is expected to host both the expo and a new IR, and will invest billions of dollars in development over the next six years.
