Operatur Aħbarijiet
Japan – Wakayama sets its sights on casino unveiling in 2026
By Phil - 11 ta’ Jannar 2021
Asian junket investor Suncity Group and Canada-based Clairvest, the only two companies that have lodged proposals to develop a casino in Wakayama, located east of Osaka, have been told their IR would need to generate ‘significant economic and employment effects’ and ‘attract customers from within Japan in order to further develop the prefecture.’
It will make a decision on the chosen operator/developer in the spring and will apply for regional certification by April next year, with the aim of unveiling an IR property in 2026.
Wakayama wants to develop a casino on the artificial island of Marina City in Kemi, Wakayama City, with the operating licence lasting for 40 years. The project’s a focus must be on sports and well being, taking advantage of the waterfront location, hot springs, food culture and other local resources Wakayama famous for. It should offer exhibition and conference facilities with at least 100,000 square meters of hotels and a casino making up no more than three per cent of the project’s footprint.
Suncity has said it would spend between HK$30bn and HK$35bn (US$3.8bn to US$4.5bn) on an Integrated Resort in its Wakayama, in the Kansai region, on Honshū island’s Kii
Il-Kap Eżekuttiv ta' Suncity, Alvin Chau, qal li l-viżjoni kienet għal 'proġett uniku li jgħaqqad it-tradizzjoni storika tal-Prefettura ta' Wakayama, il-pajsaġġ naturali u l-essenza kulturali.'
L-Uffiċċju kien qal qabel li aktar minn 20 operatur internazzjonali tal-IR mill-Amerika ta’ Fuq, l-Ewropa u l-Asja esprimew l-interess tagħhom b’forum tal-IR li ġibed interess minn gruppi operattivi fosthom Solaire, Lucien Barriere, Mohegan Gaming, Bloomberry Resorts u Galaxy Entertainment. Il-gvern irid li l-IR tiegħu jkollu lukanda ta’ 2,500 kamra b’ċentru tal-konvenzjonijiet u sala tal-wirjiet. Marina City tinsab madwar 40 minuta sewqan mill-Ajruport Internazzjonali tal-Kansai u 70 minuta sewqan minn Osaka. L-infrastruttura tagħha hija diġà żviluppata sew b'ħafna lukandi u park tad-divertiment ibbażat fuq pajsaġġi tal-bliet Ewropej medjevali.
