Reuters – The Japanese city of Osaka plans to invite operators to build a casino on a plot of reclaimed land on Osaka Bay, its governor told Reuters, pipping Tokyo in the race to attract global gaming firms to set up the country’s first gambling resort.
Yumeshima, with about 170 hectares (420 acres) of land available for development, is likely to be designated as the preferred site for a casino when Osaka officials meet on April 22 to discuss the issue, Governor Ichiro Matsui said in an interview.
Tokyo, the other city most likely to host a casino, has yet to officially name a site for a development, although the Odaiba area in Tokyo Bay is being touted as the preferred location. Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe has yet to say whether he supports a casino in the capital.
“It’s about time that as a city we narrow down the candidate sites,” Matsui said as Japan’s parliament prepares to debate a bill that would start the process of legalising casino gambling in Japan.
“We have reached the point where we need to start accepting proposals,” he added.
Brokerage CLSA predicts Japan could become the world’s third-biggest gambling market with annual revenue of over $40 billion.
Matsui, in office since 2011, is a member of the Japan Restoration Party, which has so far supported the casino bill.
Proponents of the initial bill expect debate to start in May, and aim to pass it before the house adjourns in June.
