Wakayama Governor Yoshinobu Nisaka has slapped down opponents of the prefecture’s planned bid to develop an integrated resort, telling a residents group opposing the bid, “It is irresponsible to future generations to stop a bid because you may dislike it.”
His comments were in response to the group submitting a petition opposing any IR bid – one of three organizations to have collected signatures including a group called the “Wakayama Network for Thinking about the Problems with Casinos.”
Governor Nisaka responded by citing tourism promotion and job creation as the positive effects of an IR, stating, “If you disagree, you have to offer a counter alternative to Wakayama’s revival or it is just an opinion.”
He added, “The national and prefectural governments are thinking about sufficient measures to dispel the anxieties of those who have signed the petition, and I will strive to gain their understanding.”
Wakayama announced in June that it was further extending the deadline for operators to submit material as part of the Request for Proposal (RFP) process by almost two months, from 31 August to 19 October, due to the impact of COVID-19.
Two companies, Hong Kong’s Suncity Group and Canadian IR investment firm Clairvest Group, responded to Wakayama’s RFP assessment call in April.
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