The governor of Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture, Yoshinobu Nisaka, has told local citizens that the strength of the country’s problem gambling bill and the central government’s ability to develop effective programs will determine whether foreign operators are invited to develop an integrated resort in the region.
Governor Nisaka’s comments were made at a special symposium held for locals in Wakayama earlier this week and attended by representatives of Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama City and the Chamber of Commerce of Wakayama. Among the key topics addressed were the potential impact of an integrated resort within the prefecture including discussions around economic and social benefits, inbound tourism, MICE opportunities, local employment and training for the new industry.
Also present were representatives of Osaka University of Commerce, Kyoto University and Wakayama University who helped lead discussions.
Governor Nisaka made a point to outline his plans to protect local citizens and acknowledged concerns by the public but also indicated that Wakayama should be considered a strong regional candidate for an IR with upcoming legislation likely to focus on both regional locations and major metropolitan areas in regards to issuing IR licenses.
Notably, the local council promised to work closely with the governor’s office to promote Wakayama as a serious candidate city for the development of an IR within Japan.
Among the topics raised by the public were questions around Wakayama as a secondary market compared to larger cities such as Osaka and how such a scenario might play out. Wakayama is planning to hold more symposiums in the future in order to better understand community concerns.