Nagasaki seeks more potential IR partners

To date four companies have declared their interest in participating in the request-for-proposal process in January.

Japan.- Nagasaki prefecture says it has been contacting further potential private partners for the city’s integrated resorts bid as it seeks to boost its candidacy for one of the three licences that will be up for grabs in Japan on 2022.

Authorities have communicated with casino operators that did not take part in its original request-for-proposal (RFP) process with a view to increasing the number of contenders for the tole of private partner.

The prefecture is open to interest form both domestic and overseas operators, the sources said.

Takeshi Komiya, director of Nagasaki’s IR Promotion Division, told a prefectural council meeting that there was fresh private-sector interest in the project.

Until now it has been known that Japan’s Current Corp, a Japanese unit of Casinos Austria International Holdings, and Hong Kong-listed Oshidori International Holdings were interested in the project.

According to media reports, a fourth candidate has emerged in the form of the fintech and renewable energy firm Pixel Companyz in collaboration with French casino operator Groupe Partouche.

The prefecture is set to begin its RFP process in January 2021 and intends to choose an operator before the autumn. By winter 2021, Nagasaki wants to have established an IR development plan to be able to submit a formal proposal to the national government in spring 2022.