Osaka Prefecture Governor, Ichiro Matsui, has no qualms about the many “suitors” he has putting together proposals to develop an IR in the region.
Discussing the fact that five foreign operators have already paid him a visit with local daily newspaper Osaka Hibi, Matsui said, “They are committed. From a business perspective, more options means that we can demand something great.”
Since December, a variety of operators from around the world including MGM Resorts, Genting Singapore and Melco Resorts have made the time to visit Governor Matsui and the Mayor of Osaka, Hirofumi Yoshimura.
Governor Matsui emphasized, “The more options there are to negotiate with, the harder each of the operators will work. We will be able to choose a place that will really contribute to the growth of Osaka.”
Osaka plans to independently start public offerings of operator plans in the Spring. Governor Matsui and Mayor Yoshimura have stated that they, “want to narrow down the field by summer,” based on the opinions of intellectuals. Osaka, city and prefecture, are aiming to open an IR property in 2024.