The city of Yokohama rolled out a request-for-concept (RFC) process that would be focused on private-sector entities that are willing to operate a casino resort there. The companies that are interested in establishing an integrated casino resort are free to submit their projects by December 23rd.
The official launch of the request-for-concept was announced on the official website of the Yokohama Government. As revealed in the announcement, the interested parties would have to submit not only a thorough business plan but would also be required to provide an explanation for the kinds of facilities that are set to be built as part of the so-called integrated resort. Apart from that, the applicants would have to provide plans for the implementation of responsible gambling measures that would help them address possible gambling-related harm and problem gambling.
The recent announcement has made the city of Yokohama the third Japanese metropolis which has given a start to a request-for-concept process. Osaka was the first to release and RFC process in late April 2019, while the city of Nagasaki did that earlier in October.
The city has revealed plans to publish its integrated casino resorts implementation policy in the spring of 2020 after the request-for-concept is brought to an end. Then, Yokohama is set to release the next stage of the process, called request-for-proposal (RFP).
Some of the Largest International Gambling Operators to Compete for IR Casino License
The central Government of Japan previously decided to allow a maximum of three integrated casino resorts as part of the first stage of the liberalization of its casino sector.
The local Governments (which are ones of prefectures and ordinance-level cities) that managed to qualify to apply for the Japanese Government’s permission to become home to an integrated casino resort would be required to seek for some partners from the private sectors before making an official bid for hosting a casino resort. As previously revealed by CasinoGamesPro, some of the largest gambling operators on a global scale have expressed their interest to get a casino license in Japan. Some of them initially took part in the request-for-concept phase in Osaka but later decided to withdraw, saying they have become more interested in establishing an integrated casino resort in other locations across the country.
A couple of months ago, in late August, Las Vegas Sands Corp., one of the biggest US competitors for a casino operating license in Japan, revealed that it had decided to primarily focus on Tokyo and Yokohama as possible locations to establish an integrated casino resort. Then, in the middle of September, the Asian casino gambling behemoth Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd shared its decision to adopt what it called a “Yokohama First” policy as a priority.
A few days ago, US gambling company Wynn Resorts Ltd also changed its initial intentions regarding its willingness to get a casino operating license. As the gambling operator revealed, it would no longer try to establish a casino presence in Osaka, as it would prefer to pursue a presence in the Kanto region, which includes the Greater Tokyo area and encloses a total of seven Japanese prefectures – Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Gunma, Saitama, Ibaraki and Tochigi.
