The three remaining candidate operators to develop an integrated resort in Nagasaki say they don’t expect any impact in their Japan IR plans from a local rule banning any significant investors from taking part in other bids from June to August of this year.
As previously reported by Inside Asian Gaming, the rule has been described by local officials as an “original rule made by Nagasaki prefecture” and aimed at ensuring no conflicts of interest arise during the bidding process. No such equivalent rule exists in Osaka, Yokohama or Wakayama, the three other jurisdictions in Japan currently undergoing an Integrated Resort RFP process.
Approached for comment this week, all three operators to have progressed to the next round of Nagasaki’s RFP supported the move, with Alex Yemenidjian, Chairman and CEO of Oshidori International Development Ltd, telling IAG, “It makes sense that anyone who has access to confidential or material non-public information of one IR (whether through ownership, board membership, or otherwise) should not be in a position to share that information with another IR.
“Oshidori does not intend to participate in any other tender process because we believe that the Nagasaki Prefecture deserves to have 100% of our effort and commitment.”
A project manager for NIKI Chyau Fwu (Parkview) Group said, “It hasn’t particularly affected us. We were aware of this stipulation [from the beginning] so all our partners understood it well before agreeing.”
President of Casinos Austria International Japan, Akio Hayashi, replied, “We were first to decide on Nagasaki and we are completely dedicated to Nagasaki, so the 5% restriction hasn’t affected us at all.”
Nagasaki prefecture reiterated its RFP rules this week, telling IAG, “After submitting the second round screening documents in June 2021 (subject to change), those who plan to fund 5% or more of the project are not allowed to participate in another private operator selection process related to specified complex tourist facilities (IR) [in Japan].”
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