Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JUL 2021年7月 亞博匯 60 JAPAN FLOWERS AND LIGHTS Under the theme “Breathtaking Resort of Flowers and Lights” HTB hosts various seasonal events. Spring to summer is the “City of Flowers” season, beginning with the 100 million Tulip Festival, followed by the largest Rose Festival in Asia, during which the entire city is decorated with roses. The Kyushu No.1 Firework Festival hosted at Huis Ten Bosch is the largest fireworks show in Western Japan in terms of volume. The year-round decorative illumination changes seasonally, shining brightest in the clear air from autumn to winter. Called the Kingdom of Lights, it features 13 million bulbs, making it the largest in the world of its kind. There is also an athletic course where guests can commune with nature, digital attractions, opera, music and shows all packed into this one resort. Henn Na Hotel is a premium hotel that has adopted the latest technology and employs only minimal human staff, leaving most tasks to robots. CANDIDATE SITE Now, Nagasaki wants to develop an integrated resort on a 31-hectare plot on the west side of the theme park. However, HTB will not participate as an operator of the IR. Instead, the local government and its operator partner will purchase the real estate in the event that their IR development plan is approved by the national government. As outlined in IAG ’s cover story this issue, there are three operator candidates still in the running to develop Nagasaki’s IR – Casinos Austria, THE NIKI group and a consortium led by Oshidori International that also boasts US tribal casino operator Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment. HTB has commented in regard to the benefits of an IR bid, stating, “We would expect it to be able to attract between one and two million visitors annually.”