Rush Street starts Japanese sojourn

Rush Street, the US casino operator has started operations of its Japanese subsidiary Rush Street Japan as it opened an office in the port town of Tomakomai. The company will strive to obtain a casino license in Hokkaido.

Hokkaido, the northern most of Japan’s archipelago and known for its volcanos, is a tourist destination having direct flight connection to South Korea, mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.

Gambling majors like Caesars, Hard Rock, Mohegan, Clairvest, and Foxwoods are already trying to get a license in Hokkaido. So the competition is stiff. Tomakomai City, Kushiro City, and Rusutsu Village have all been touted as potential locations for a regional casino.

The operator will call on its experience in developing and operating casinos in Des Plaines, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Schenectady.

Rush Street commented: “Rush Street IR facilities are developed from scratch, taking advantage of the characteristics of the area. For example, in our facilities located in North America, restaurants and lounges are carefully designed for the food culture and climate of the locality, and hotels and entertainment facilities are constructed to melt into the area while using the land. For example, Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, has been developed to blend in with the natural landscape and is now a landmark in the area that expresses the majestic nature of Niagara. This development project was realised with the largest single investment by Ontario Government. For the facilities in Illinois state in the United States, we are the first in the IR market to acquire LEED’s gold certification, an environmental performance evaluation system.”

“In Hokkaido we will develop a custom-made IR making full use of regional features while incorporating knowledge from the world’s best real estate developer. Promoting the development of the IR will be managed thorough field survey, plans that incorporate the views of the local community, and design of facilities that considers the local environment-friendly facilities.”