The Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan revealed that Casinos Austria International Japan has been selected as the commercial partner priority choice of the prefectural government’s pursuit of an integrated casino resort.
As local officials announced, Casinos Austria was given an assessment score of 697.0 points after the Prefecture launched its request-for-proposal (RFP) phase. In a special release issued earlier today, the authorities of the Nagasaki Prefecture revealed that the Oshidori International Holdings-led consortium, which was ranked in the second position, received 682.8 points. The third bidder for the permission to build and operate a casino resort in Nagasaki – Niki Chyau Fwu Group (Parkview) – received an assessment of 667.1 points.
Only about a week ago, the Oshidori International, which had joined forces with the US-based tribal casino operator Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment for the bid, revealed that it was thinking about a potential withdrawal from the request-for-proposal selection. At the time, the company challenged whether the selection was being carried out in line with ethical norms and perceptions.
Casinos Austria International Japan operates as a subsidiary of Casinos Austria AG. According to the European casino operator’s official website, the company currently has 12 casino venues on the territory of Austria plus Austrian Lotteries, a lottery business. Casinos Austria International, on the other hand, holds investments in a number of casinos, as well as other gambling-related businesses on a global scale.
Nagasaki to Compete for One of the Three IR Casino Licenses
The official statement of the Integrated Resort Promotion Division of Nagasaki says that the RFP phase in the selection process of a commercial partner for the Prefecture was held in a fair and integral manner. In the announcement, it was also revealed that local officials had established the Operator Evaluation Committee in order to guarantee an objective and transparent process of evaluation of the bids received during the process.
According to the official statement of the Nagasaki Prefecture, the Evaluation Committee’s findings were used as a base for the decision, but the competent officials also took into account the results of the eligibility probe, as the IR Implementation Law requires. The decision was unveiled as a result of the consideration between the Prefecture of Nagasaki, the Nagasaki Public Safety Commission and Sasebo city as the aforementioned piece of legislation says.
Sasebo city is home to the site that has been chosen to host the integrated casino resort for the Prefecture.
Hodo Nakamura, the Governor of Nagasaki Prefecture, issued a separate statement to thank all companies that had taken part in the request-for-proposal procedure during such a challenging time for the entire world – the coronavirus pandemic. He further shared how grateful he is for the great proposals that had unveiled the operators’ unique features.
The Japanese central Government intends to hand over three casino operating licenses in the country. However, local authorities that are interested in becoming home to an integrated casino resort are required to first choose a commercial partner for the complex and then file their application to the country’s Government.
