The eyes of the global gaming industry will be firmly focused on Japan this spring with the third Japan Gaming Congress taking place in Tokyo from 10 to 11 May.
WITH the passage through the Diet of Japan’s IR Implementation Bill expected by mid-year, the timing of this year’s Japan Gaming Congress (JgC) couldn’t be better. Now in its third year, having first been held in 2014 before returning after a hiatus in 2017, this year’s conference will provide valuable insight from experts and key industry stakeholders on a variety of topics including updates on bills related to problem gambling and general IR regulation.
In addition to these tracks, the two day event will also focus on setting realistic expectations on the impacts of the IR and entertainment industry on local communities, with topics related to business, non-gaming entertainment amenities, legal considerations and other topical discussions.
The event will continue to see an enhanced presence by key Japanese authorities, including figures from the central government and a wide variety of prefectures. Expected attendance includes key members of Japan’s Leading Democratic Party (LDP) as well as officials from Hokkaido, Osaka, Wakayama and Nagasaki. Providing insights from the broader business community will be companies such as Hakkasan, JP Morgan, KPMG Japan, Goldman Sachs Tokyo, the Ministry of Economy & Finance and more.
JgC has quickly cemented its place as one of the few “must-see” conferences for the world’s biggest gaming operators, with the 2017 edition luring the likes of Galaxy Entertainment Group President Michael Mecca, Marina Bay Sands CEO George Tanasijevich, Wynn Resorts President Matt Maddox, President of International Development at Caesars Entertainment Steve Tight, MGM Resorts Japan CEO and Representative Officer Ed Bowers and Sega Sammy President and COO Haruki Satomi.
Explaining the reasons behind such high-level attendance, Mecca told IAG at the time that, “Doing business in Japan is a very special opportunity. Japan is very interested in developing the IR business in a very Japanese way. The resort itself has to be iconic to the city and prefecture of where we are doing business.
“In all of our conversations with the government and corporations their focus has been that they want the resorts to be incredibly special, they want them to represent Japan and the city and the prefecture where they are going to be built and they recognize that in order to do that there has got to be a significant investment. “Certainly every IR company would like to be selected to be part of an IR in Japan.”
JgC will be held at the Conrad, Tokyo and is the largest event of its type in this exciting new market.
“We are excited to bring the Japan Gaming Congress back for its third year running,” said Event Director of JgC at Clarion Gaming, Rory Credland.
“The success of the last two events, coupled with the most recent election updates in Japan, show that the event continues to drive heavy interest from attendees both domestically in Japan and abroad within the gaming industry. We look forward to a conference full of valuable discussions from both industry and government leaders as Japan looks to the future of IR development and entertainment within the country.”
This year’s agenda includes discussions on maximizing the non-gaming side of IRs and opportunities for the local community; investment and finance – best practice for constructing consortiums; operator visions for the market; responsible gaming; and security.
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