Galaxy Entertainment Group President Mike Mecca has talked down the potential for an “Osaka Strip” of Integrated Resorts being built on Yumeshima Island in Osaka.
The concept was touted last month in a study by Global Market Advisors titled White Paper: Japan Integrated Resorts, which suggests, “The greatest opportunity to increase tourism would be the creation of the ‘Osaka Strip’ that could host multiple IRs developed by several quality operators.”
But in an exclusive interview with Inside Asian Gaming at this week’s Japan Gaming Congress in Tokyo, Mr Mecca said he was unaware of any such moves by Japanese officials.
“In all of our conversations over an extended period of time, the concept has been that they would like to develop iconic IRs in a number of cities in Japan to promote tourism,” he said. “They want to create IRs that are special enough and that the scope of the resort is significant enough for it to be an attraction to come to Japan. And that’s a single operator.”
Mr Mecca also noted that while the relevant piece of land on Yumeshima Island would be difficult for a single operator to develop, it wasn’t out of the question.
“It is certainly a very significant piece of land and for one IR company to develop that entire property would be a bit of a challenge,” he said. “There would have to be different components, whether they are entertainment components, sports components, shopping components, so there could be one IR company that developed that particular piece of land.
“I haven’t heard anything from the government that the ‘Osaka Strip’ concept is definitely the way Osaka plans to go.
“We’ve met with the IR committee in Osaka a number of times and that would be something brand new to discuss with them, but we have not heard that directly from the IR committee.”
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