Nagasaki prefecture confirmed on 29 January that it had received five responses to its call for participants in a Request for Proposal, and while four of those were named at the time, Inside Asian Gaming can reveal a consortium comprising THE NIKI of Japan and Chyau Fwu (Parkview) Group as the fifth contender.
THE NIKI is an offshoot of NIKI Club, which previously ran NIKI Resort – a nature resort located in Nasu, Tochigi that closed its doors in 2017 after 31 years.
Chyau Fwu (Parkview) Group is linked to the construction and development company Chyau Fwu, which was established in 1950 in Taiwan. Their experience is mainly in the development and operation of MICE and commercial facilities as well as office buildings in major Asian cities including Beijing and Singapore. The group has also developed the Wellness Resort in Okinawa and is currently developing a ski resort in Hokkaido’s Niseko.
In an announcement posted on their website, the consortium states, “THE NIKI and Chyau Fwu (Parkview) Group announces we will apply as an operator for a Kyushu-Nagasaki integrated resort. We will propose to build a Super Smart Community that makes full use of cutting edge technology, centered on an IR in Sasebo city, and spreading to Omura Bay.
“We aim to become the model case for a regionalized IR in Japan. THE NIKI (Japan) & Chyau Fwu (Parkview) Group team will work with local influential companies in Japan and we are confident that we are the core to realization and success of a Kyushu-Nagasaki IR.”
There is currently no information on who its other partners might be or which experienced casino operating firm it plans to work with.
As previously reported by IAG, the other four bidders include Casinos Austria, Pixel Companyz in collaboration with Groupe Partouche, a consortium consisting of multiple partners including Get Nice Holdings and Current Corp, and another bringing together Oshidori International Development and US tribal casino operator Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment.
In response to the now five contenders for Nagasaki, Akio Hayashi, CEO of Casinos Austria International, one of the first three who answered Nagasaki’s RFP, told IAG, “There are more rivals now, but the fact that Nagasaki is getting so much attention is a good thing. We will continue to do everything we can to pitch our security, safety and stability.”
