Inside Asian Gaming

IAG MAR 2020年3月 亞博匯 97 日本 T herecentrevelationthatjustoneconsortium, MGM Resorts and Orix, had applied to submit a bid to develop an integrated resort in Osaka – with Galaxy Entertainment Group and Genting Singapore opting to focus their energies elsewhere instead – was the latest in a series of maneuverers by operators as they jostle for position in the world’s most sought after new casino market. But it is no longer just operators making all the noise. At the 1st IR Expo in Yokohama on 29 and 30 January, a notable feature of the exhibition floor was the proliferation of manufacturers and suppliers eager to lend their innovative expertise to Japan’s first IRs. An increasingly common site at Japanese IR shows over the past 12 months, the 45 exhibitors in Yokohama comprised everything from design and architecture, or media and security services firms to the latest technological innovations in IT, video, entertainment and cutting edge robots. Their interest is understandable. According to Yokohama city, estimates for a Yokohama IR range from 20 million to 40 million visitors each year with consumption expenditures of JPY 450 billion (US$4.2 billion) to JPY 740 billion (US$6.8 billion). in the surrounding area. This would create an estimated economic ripple effect (including indirect effects) of JPY 750 billion (US$6.9 billion) to JPY 1.2 trillion (US$11.1 billion) during construction and JPY 630 billion to JPY 1 trillion during operations. Opportunities to get on board an industry that lucrative from day one don’t come along very often. Among the exhibitors at the 1st IR Expo in Yokohama were Japan’s biggest super general contractors – including Obayashi, Taisei, Kajima and Takenaka – who were actively promoting their past success stories in developing large-scale projects as well as showcasing their latest construction and engineering technologies. Notably, Obayashi and Taisei posted record net profit in the six month period to 30 September 2019, aided by 日 本是全球IR市場新貴，吸引各營運商力爭一席 位，其中市場最新的動向是，由美高梅國際酒店 集團與歐力士組成的聯營體是暫時唯一在大阪 競逐發展綜合度假村的營運商，銀河娛樂集團 及雲頂新加坡則決定放眼日本其他地區。 然而，現在不再只是營運商的一舉一動吸引市場關注。 首屆日本IR博覽會橫濱站於1月29日至30日舉行，展會一大 特色是展覽場地遍佈行業製造商和供應商，希望在日本首批IR項 目貢獻其創意及專業知識。在過去一年，橫濱逐漸備受IR業界關 注，是次日本IR博覽會橫濱站有45個參展商參與，涉及多個領域， 包括設計、建築、媒體、安全服務等，以及科技、視像、娛樂和尖端 機器人等最新的創意及技術層面。 製造商和供應商的熱衷是可以理解的。據橫濱市政府的資 料，橫濱IR項目可每年帶來2000萬至4000萬旅客，旅客在周邊地 區的消費可達4500億至7400億日圓，預計項目建設期間的經濟漣 漪效應（包括非直接影響）可達7500億至1.2萬億日圓，營運期間 的經濟漣漪效應則達6300億至1萬億日圓。能夠跟行業一齊起步， 而且商機處處，這些機會不是時常會出現的。 首屆日本IR博覽會橫濱站的參展商包括日本五大建築商，即 大林組、大成建設、清水建設、鹿島建設及竹中工務店，均積極地 向觀眾介紹過去在發展大型項目上的成功經驗，以及展示其最新 的建築工程技術。 值得留意的是，截至2019年9月30日為止的六個月，大林組及 大成建設皆錄得破記錄的利潤，這成績有賴東京奧運會舉行前所 帶動的需求，而這批建築商當然希望透過IR項目延續這勢頭。 在橫濱站展示安全技術的企業則有富士通、東芝、松下及綜 合警備保障，展示的前沿產品結合面部識別和生物特徵認證。 通過面部識別和手掌靜脈，富士通現時可辨識逾100萬人，也