An anti-casino group in Wakayama, Japan has submitted a petition with more than 20,000 signatures to put the city’s integrated resort (IR) plan to a vote. Only 6,200 signatures were required to move the issue forward.
According to Inside Asian Gaming, Mayor Masahiro Obana accepted the petition and now must call a city council meeting by January 26 to weigh the matter. If council agrees, the referendum will go ahead.
Last June, Wakayama agreed to a partnership with a consortium headed by Clairvest Neem Ventures; the agreement between the operator and prefecture was signed in August. In September, U.S. casino giant Caesars Entertainment joined in an operational role. A regional development plan must be submitted to the central government by April 28.
One reported sticking point for residents is a lack of clarity around funding. Last January, an anti-IR group in Yokohama submitted a petition for a referendum with 190,000 signatures, three times the required number. Yokohama’s IR plans came to an end in August after anti-IR campaigner Takeharu Yamanaka became mayor.
