Japanese tourism and hospitality firm Kamori Kanko Co. Ltd says the existing infrastructure already in place at Rusutsu Village, including hotels, conference rooms and a popular ski resort, gives it “first mover” advantage in the race to win a regional Japan IR license.
In a statement released over the weekend promoting the company’s IR attributes, Kamori Kanko President Hisatake Kamori described a potential Rusutsu IR, which would include a casino, as the perfect “test case” for the IR dynamic in Japan from a commercial, regulatory and social perspective.
“The Rusutsu Resort team is pleased to see its careful investments in tourism over many years leveraged to benefit its home region of Hokkaido exponentially,” he said.
Rusutsu Village currently boasts around 850 hotel rooms and 14 meetings and conference options with capacity for almost 2,500 guests, as well as offering three ski mountains with 35 courses in winter, four golf courses and a theme park.
Kamori also pushed the ability for a Rusutsu IR to help assess any potential dangers associated with problem gambling, stating it would “put regulators in a position to prepare for what lies ahead with the larger scale resorts planned for the metropolitan region.
“Commercially, important questions regarding gaming behavior and player spending patterns in Japan will be answered first in Rusutsu,” the company said. “The interaction between pachinko and IR gaming will play out in real time, and the impact of the sizable casino entrance fee being levied in Japan will be revealed.
“And from a regulatory standpoint, the licensing procedure and other protocols that will be required for all IR’s in Japan will be tested first in the more modest setting of Rusutsu.”
Kamori Kanko announced in early January its intention to pursue a Japan IR license.
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