Local governments wanting to secure a Japan casino license might have to name the proposed operator when submitting their license application, according to one expert in the field.
Masayo Watanabe, Senior Manager and Sub-Leader for the Integrated Resort Support Office at Ernst and Young Japan, told the Japan Gaming Congress on Wednesday that the process for confirming a host prefecture may include that prefecture nominating the IR operator before any official decision by the national government was made.
“It may be that each local government will have to find their operator first,” he said. “There might be an RFP (request for proposal) process first with the local government finding an operator so that when the local government submits their application to the national government it is includes an already selected operator.
“That way, when the national government selects where Japan’s IRs will be, they will be for areas with a known operator attached. The national government will know who the operator is.”
Takayoshi Koike, President & CEO of Capital & Innovation Inc, added that the winning formula for a joint venture consortium in Japan would be one involving three parties – local business leaders, national corporates and foreign operators.
“It would include a foreign operator with experience; large, well financed national corporates who understand Japan; and local business leaders who understand the local area where the IR is going to be,” Mr Koike said.
However, according to former Executive Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation Peter Cohen, it is another key consideration that will determine who wins a casino license in Japan and who doesn’t. “The number one factor in selecting the winning IR will be the desire by the government not to be embarrassed,” he said. “This will be the most important factor. The government will want a submission that doesn’t over-promise and can deliver on what it promises to do.”
