The executive pointed out that the newly regulated Japanese casino market is “hugely important” not just to her company, but to the entire gaming world. She went on to say that Japan was “the single most important market to open in the last decade […], maybe the last two decades.”
Jones Blackhurst said last week to Nevada Newsmakers that the gambling potential of Japan is enormous, because the government has been very thoughtful when putting together the new legislation.
Japanese politicians and other involved parties have expressed concerns about the impact the legalization of casino gambling would have on a nation that is already hooked on another form of gambling. According to estimates, there are 44 million pachinko machines around Japan.
To minimize the ill effects of casino gambling, the government has crafted a legislation that contains significant restrictions to Japanese residents’ access to the gaming floors that are to be opened. For instance, Japanese would not be allowed to visit casinos more than ten times a month.
Jones Blackhurst said last week that the three integrated resorts will add no more than 12,000 gaming machines and that the establishment of such properties really was a solution, as “big gaming brands have become very seasoned with responsible gaming programs, outreach, and education.”
A number of major gaming and hospitality companies have expressed interest in entering Japan’s gaming market, even though the official bidding process is yet to commence. Las Vegas giants Las Vegas Sands and MGM Resorts International have said that they could invest more than US$10 billion into an integrated resort scheme, if they are among the winning bidders. Others have pledges similarly large investments.
Source: GMB / Casino News Daily
