In Japan and Nagasaki Prefecture has reportedly initiated the request for proposal (RFP) stage of its campaign to secure one of the nation’s coming trio of integrated casino resort licenses.

According to a report from Inside Asian Gaming, the southern jurisdiction is hoping to be given permission to bring a Las Vegas-style development complete with multiple hotels, exhibition facilities and a casino to a 74-acre plot of land next to the Huis Ten Bosch theme park. However, the source detailed that the Kyushu province is first being required to select a firm to run the envisioned gambling-friendly facility before submitting a completed license application to a panel of federal selectors in advance of an April of 2022 deadline.

Complicated course:

Home to approximately 1.3 million people, Nagasaki Prefecture will reportedly continue accepting RFP applications from prospective operators until January 28 some 13 days after the question portion of the exercise is to cease. The jurisdiction then purportedly hopes to have its preferred partner cleared by the local legislative assembly ahead of presenting its finished plan to the national government sometime next year.

Respected runners:

Regarding just will be taking part in the RFP stage of Nagasaki Prefecture’s casino plan and the source reported that confirmed candidates already include European gambling giants Casinos Austria International and Groupe Partouche as well as consortiums being individually led by Oshidori International Holdings Limited and Get Nice Holdings Limited. It was more recently purportedly revealed that a pair of unidentified United States-headquartered firms as well as a similarly-enigmatic Asian company may moreover be keen on participating.

Optimistic opponents:

Although most gambling is currently illegal in Japan, the coalition government of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed legislation in July of 2018 that is to see the nation of some 126 million people award individual integrated casino resort licenses to as many as three areas. Nagasaki Prefecture reportedly looks likely to face stiff competition in this race with the communities of Osaka, Yokohama and Wakayama Prefecture having already embarked on their own RFP journeys.