Inside Asian Gaming

IAG MAY 2020年5月 亞博匯 38 COLUMNISTS and operations during this time can only help, providing Japan with further insights for selecting the type of operators it will want in the market. Japan continues to remain a strong opportunity for the next iteration of integrated resorts, but if they build it, will operators come? There are several factors that could decide whether Japan will allow the market to reach its full potential, which would bring a full complement of those bidders willing to invest billions of dollars into one of the three available licenses. While many of the major operators continue to adjust their balance sheets to weather this storm, the duration of the situation might challenge those same operators’ previous interests as they struggle to keep current assets viable. This may lead to an abandonment of the chase in Japan that some have been undergoing for 20 years. Japan, like any major country impacted by this pandemic, will be looking for major investment in economic development projects that spur job creation, and integrated resorts will help fill that gap while diversifying the tourismproduct. However, Japan needs to be mindful of the companies that would be the ideal partners for these large-scale developments. Slowing down the Central Government timeline by six months to a year can only help, allowing these major operators to regain the foothold they held just a few months ago. Finalizing the fundamental policy and the framework for integrated resorts should be the top priority. Delaying the timeline as they did the Olympics will enhance the potential ability for long-term viability of IRs in Japan. Given this is an opportunity that very seldom comes around in the gaming industry, it is better to build it right so that the preferred operators will come to the market and fulfill Japan’s goals of setting the new standard in IRs. 如澳門，每個取得博彩特許專營權的公司都對日本表現出了興趣， 那是因為其「人員商數」不像其他的市場那樣多變，從而對營運的 牽制較小。換言之，在諸如美國的市場裏，一些公司已經讓員工暫 時休假，而另一些公司則繼續承諾在大停工期間支付員工薪酬。 這些運營商同樣面臨著如何以謹慎的方式重出並擴大營運以 滿足市需求的挑戰。這段時間內對資產負債表和運營狀況的評估， 將為日本政府選擇其市場所需的營運商類型提供進一步的洞見。 日本仍將是下一輪綜合度假村的強大機遇，但如果他們完成 建設，會有營運商前來嗎？有數個因素起決定作用，只有日本允 許市場發揮其全部潛力，才足以為其帶來那些願意投資數十億美 元、競投三張賭牌之一的候選競標人。 儘管許多主要運營商仍在調整其資產負債表以度過這場風 暴，但這種情況持績多久可能會挑戰那些努力維持流動資產之生 存的運營商的先前利益。此舉可能導致一些人放棄其已在日本進 行了20年來的佈局。 日本和任何受到這一大流行影響的主要國家一樣，將尋求在 經濟發展項目中進行重大投資，以刺激創造就業機會。發展綜合 度假村將有助於填補這一空白，同時有助於旅遊產品的多樣化。 但是，日本須留意那些可能成為這些大規模開發的理想合作夥伴 的公司。只有將日本政府的時間表撥慢六個月至一年，才有助於 這些主要運營商重新回到他們幾個月前的立足之處。 最終確定綜合度假村的基本政策和框架應該是最優先事項。 通過像奧運會一樣推遲時間安排，將有助增強日本IR的長期生存 能力。對於一個在博彩行業很少出現的機會，最好是將其建立在 正確的基礎上，以便合適的營運商首先進入市場及實現日本為綜 合度假村所設立的目標。