Inside Asian Gaming

IAG MAR 2021年3月 亞博匯 13 MGM READY TO SUBMIT OSAKA RFP DOCUMENTS: HORNBUCKLE HORNBUCKLE：美高梅準備提交大阪公開招募文件 請於asgam.com註冊獲取《亞博匯早報》 Sign up to receive IAG Breakfast Briefing at asgam.com MGM RESORTS PRESIDENT AND CEO Bill Hornbuckle says the company remains largely in the dark over the status of Osaka’s RFP process following recent delays in the national government’s IR timeline but has also reiterated the company’s commitment to Japan. Hornbuckle was speaking on the company’s 4Q20 earnings call in February during which he allayed concerns over MGM’s commitment to pursing a Japan IR license. Those concerns had been heightened in recent months as a result of COVID-19 pressures and the company’s efforts to acquire Entain PLC. Asked about progress in Osaka, Hornbuckle noted the nine- month delay Japan’s IR application period announced last year, adding that Osaka “has not given us the requirements of what that will mean to them in our submissions. I think that will be coming out within the next several weeks. “I think you’ll see a requirement of us to submit an RFP with our partner, ORIX, sometime this summer. It’s yet to be ultimately determined, and we’re ready to go. We've been in that marketplace a long time. We’re a believer in Asia. We’re a believer in Japan. “We’ve spent a lot of time and energy becoming the sole one standing at the gate, if you will, in Osaka. We haven’t had our people on the ground there for a better part of nine months, so it’s going to take some time to rebound, but we have the intent and I believe the government still has the same intent of moving forward.” 美高梅國際酒店集團 總裁兼首席執行官Bill Horn- buckle表示，由於日本政府近期推遲了提交申請 的時間，美高梅在大阪公開招募（RFP）的申請過程 中仍處於情況尚不明朗的狀態。但他重申了公司 對日本的承諾。 Hornbuckle是在二月舉行的該公司第四季度 財報電話會議上披露上述訊息。該會議上，他打消 了人們對美高梅是否繼續尋求日本IR牌照的擔憂。 由於新冠疫情的壓力以及該公司收購英國網絡博 彩巨頭Entain PLC的努力，無不令這些擔憂加劇。 當被問及大阪事務進展時，Hornbuckle表示， 日本去年宣佈將IR申請期推遲9個月，並補充稱， 大阪「並未在我們提交的文件中說明他們將對上 述決定作何反應。我相信其將在未來數週內公佈。 」 「我猜測或許會在今年夏天某個時候要求我 與合作夥伴歐力士共同提交一份RFP。雖未最終確 定，但我們已經做好準備。」 「我們已經在這個市場佈局了很久。我們對 亞洲有信心，對市場有信心。」 「我們花了很長時間成為站在大阪門口的唯 一一個候選人。我們已經有9個多月沒有派人到當 地這工作了，所以需要花一些時間才能恢復。但我 們有推進的意願，也相信政府同樣有意推進。」