Experts say Hokkaido may not get an IR

According to experts, Hokkaido won’t win an IR bid to build an integrated resort with a casino if they choose Rusutsu as candidate.

The casino industry is getting closer to Japan and several regions are getting ready to push for an integrated resorts. However, experts are already ruling Hokkaido out as the government wouldn’t favour a small town like Rusutsu to build an entertainment development.

The prefecture is assessing several possibilities to install an integrated resort such as Tomakomai city, Kushiro city and Rusutsu village. Experts have asserted that the latter is the least likely to be selected by the local government as the entertainment venture is set to be built in a bigger location.

Capital & Innovation Inc. president and CEO Takayoshi Koike said: “Hokkaido prefecture has a policy to choose only one as IR candidate from three, Tomakomai city, Kushiro city, Rusutsu village. I do not think that Rusutsu is the one to be selected by Hokkaido prefecture,” said Takayoshi.

The advisor on the IR Implementation Bill Toru Mihara went even further and assured that “if Hokkaido fails to be designated, those candidatures may become meaningless.” He belittled the Rusutsu possibility as its a location that tourist would choose for skiing rather than gambling and said that it might be an attractive possibility for the local authorities but not for the central government.