Wakayama awaits national IR legislation

A Wakayama prefectural official tells Asia Gaming Brief that they are ready to launch an RFC process with IR operators very quickly after the IR Implementation Bill is enacted by the National Diet. Unlike Tomakomai and Sasebo, which have previously launched RFIs, Wakayama will begin directly with an RFC.

The official also stated that the local plan still calls for a foreigner-only casino, but that this policy will be reviewed after the national government details its policies on the regulation of casinos.

In oblique comments before the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly last December, Governor Yoshinobu Nisaka hinted that if national gambling anti-addiction measures were sufficiently credible, it might not prove necessary to ban Japanese nationals from entry to the casino.

Finally, the official also noted that Wakayama Prefecture is in regular contact with international IR operators, holding ongoing discussions about elements of casino regulation and local development plans.

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