Hakodate also interested in hosting casino on Hokkaido

The mayor said the city would be interested in hosting an integrated resort.

Japan.- Another city in Hokkaido has emerged as a possible contender to host an integrated resort (IR) with a casino amid the anticipated reopening of the national licensing process.

Hokkaido prefecture launched a survey of its 179 municipalities last month after Suguru Kanazawa, the mayor of Tomakomai, expressed interest in proposing the city as a host if the national government opens a new application window.

According to the Hokkaido Shimbun, Hakodate mayor Jun Oizumi has said that the city is also interested in hosting an IR but has no plan at the moment. Meanwhile, Katsuhiro Akimoto, mayor of Sapporo, has said that the city’s government was in favour of Hokkaido hosting an IR but it was not interested in bidding itself.

The last application window for bids to host casinos in Japan led to just one approval: MGM Osaka on Yumeshima island. The development is a joint venture between the Orix Group, MGM Resorts International and several smaller-scale Japanese investors. But it’s been reported the the central government may open new applications for two more IR licences, potentially reviving its initial plan to approve three developments.

In 2019, Hokkaido chose not to participate in Japan’s initial round of IR bidding, mainly due to environmental concerns. In June, the Hokkaido Economic Federation expressed support for a new bid from the island.

See also:

See also: Hokkaido launches survey on casino plans

The mayor said the city would be interested in hosting an integrated resort. Japan.- Another city in Hokkaido has emerged as a possible contender to host an integrated resort (IR)…