Yokohama city has published a draft of its implementation policy, laying out the criteria for IR operators in its bid for a facility.
One condition contained in the draft is that the casino element of the IR facility should have an appropriate layout and design that ensures it is not “too easy” for a regular person to enter. It also includes measures related to problem gambling and security, working in cooperation with Yokohama city and the wider Kanagawa prefecture.
Yokohama city owns most of the land at Yamashita wharf, the candidate site for the facility, and the city will maintain the IR by leasing it without selling it to an operator as “valuable land in a coastal area close to downtown.” The draft includes measures to improve the roads around the wharf in anticipation of an increasing number of visitors.
It asks for operators to work on developing a stable, continuous and long-term IR business. Meanwhile, in the event that the business faces problems, the roles of the city and the operator will be clearly defined.
Six operators have shown an interest in developing an IR facility in Yokohama, including Las Vegas Sands, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Melco Resorts and Entertainment, Wynn Resorts, Genting Singapore and Japan’s Sega Sammy.
The final implementation policy is scheduled to be announced in June.
